BLUFF NEWS

Southland Times, Issue 23497, 2 May 1938, Page 2

BLUFF NEWS

NECESSITY FOR A READING ROOM LIBRARY IMPROVEMENTS URGED The provision of a public reading room at Bluff and the improvement of the present library were urged by the secretary of the Bluff Athenaeum Committee, Mr J. H. Young, in an interview with The Southland Times. Mr Young commented on a recent newspaper article, in which a Dunedin visitor to the port pointed out the loss to the town and to visitors caused by the absence of a reading room and described Bluff as backward and out of date. Mr Young expressed his agreement with the writer, but added that to attempt such a project when the necessary capital was not available was futile. “We have only about 60 subscribers to the Bluff Athenaeum and our finances are naturally not considerable,” Mr Young said. “One cannot force the public to read and I am not confident that the membership could be increased to any appreciable extent. Those of the reading public of the town who are not members of the library obtain reading matter from other sources and no appeal would be of any avail. You cannot force the rest of the people to read. The chief sources of the library’s revenue are subscriptions, hall rent and small endowment rentals. We have received donations from the Borough Council and other organizations, but the Athenaeum Committee could never consider so big an enterprise as the instituting of a public reading room without some assistance." The present library was 60 years old, and in its earlier stages had a reading room adjacent, in what is now the Athenaeum Hall, said Mr Young. The library was established by, a number of residents and a Government grant made possible the erection of the present building. Through the efforts of Sir Joseph Ward two additional rooms were attached to the hall and it was in one of these that the present library was contained. SUBSIDY NOT GRANTED “I have advocated the • improvement of the present library system and the provision of a public reading room for a number of years,” continued Mr Young, “but no opportunity ever brought satisfactory results. Applications for assistance were made to every possible source. The probability of the Government granting subsidies for the erection of halls to commemorate the Coronation of King Edward was. mentioned in November 1936. Following an inquiry by myself into the possibilities of assisting in the erection of a hall at Bluff, a reply was received from the Minister of Internal Affairs (the Hon. W. E. Parry) in February 1937 stating that the Government had decided against making grants for the erection of halls. Apparently the money was to be put to some other purpose.” The establishment of a modern library and reading room was essential to the progress of the town, Mr Young declared. With a population of 2000 Bluff should be able to support the scheme. The project could not be formed on a subscription basis—it would need to be a municipal undertaking. It was actually a matter for the local authorities., NECESSITY FOR VISITORS Passengers in the steamer service between Melbourne and Bluff, besides countless visitors to the port, had frequently inquired for the reading room and had found to, their disappointment, and often surprise, that no such facility was available. Invariably they were anxious to have access to newspapers or periodicals. It was an urgent need ana would prove a great asset to the port. Reference had been made to the fact that the library was closed over the Easter holidays and this was apt to create a false impression. The committee could not afford to employ a fulltime librarian even if the suggestion were warranted and the library was open only on Tuesday and Saturday evenings. Actually, the library was closed, in this instance, for only one evening—Easter Saturday. An effort had been made to enlarge and improve the present system through the A.C.E. Library Loan Service, but this had also been unsuccessful. A representative of the Carnegie Corporation, which was taking an interest in furnishing country districts with libraries, had also been unable to assist.- The addition of books to the shejves did not expand a library’s circulation, he said, and nothing except a grant or subsidy could provide Bluff with a modern library and reading room such as had been suggested, unless local bodies were prepared to give the matter consideration.