THE PUBLIC LIBRARY

Southland Times, Issue 23828, 27 May 1939, Page 12

THE PUBLIC LIBRARY

To The Editor

Sir, —I see by the report of the City Council’s meeting that a museum is to be erected. When the council is considering the allocation of space a room should be set aside for accommodating the junk now occupying space on the bookshelves of our Public Library. By junk I mean books that have been in the library for years, that carry few reading stamps and are of negligible value. There are hundreds of these books helping to make up the drab display in the library at present. I see by the report that £l7OO was spent on the reading room and very little on the lending department—and the council wonders why the book clubs are so successful.

I have seen many members of the public make use of the reading room and at the same time bring with them books that had just been hired from private book clubs. For this state of affairs, the council is alone to blame, as the staff of the library is all that could be desired. I have been a subscriber to the Public Library since residing in Invercargill, but if the fiction section is not modernized I, like others, will change to the book clubs which give a modern service. My name is available if required.—Yours, eU '’ SUBSCRIBER. May 24, 1939.