BOOKS FOR THE TROOPS

Southland Times, Issue 24011, 29 December 1939, Page 2

BOOKS FOR THE TROOPS

SPLENDID RESPONSE TO APPEAL APPRECIATION OF PUBLIC SUPPORT Encouraging returns covering a period of a little over a fortnight showing the response to the appeals for books and magazines for the benefit of the men of New Zealand’s military forces, were contained in the report submitted by Mr G. T. Alley, officer in charge of the State Country Library Service, to a recent meeting of the Library SubCommittee of the National Patriotic Council. The Country Library Service, in association with the New Zealand Libraries’ Association, has undertaken the administration of the scheme to provide reading matter, although when Mr Alley prepared his report the collecting machinery had scarcely begun to operate. The total number of books received up to the end of November was 1006. In addition, theye were notifications of another 4217 books being available. Of the books received, 633 had been sent to Trentham camp and 50 to one of the military posts around Wellington. Appreciation was expressed by Mr Alley of the great amount of help that •had been received in making known the need for books, and also of the response to date. CAMP FACILITIES , The lending library at Trentham now has more than 1000 books and fresh stocks are continually being sent to the camp. Recommendations have been made for the establishment of a reference room and a periodical room and for several other • improvements. Only temporary library accommodation was available at Burnham camp at the present time, Mr Alley reported, but a good stock of books was available for men in camp there as soon as satisfactory library accommodation was provided. Steps had been taken to provide a library service at the Papakura camp, and this would be inaugurated shortly, temporary accommodation being used in the meantime. Books and periodicals, Mr Alley continued, had been sent to the unit serving on Mt. Victoria, Wellington, and to Waiouru, and. there were numerous camps to which a regular supply of books and periodicals would now be sent. Much material, however, had been sent already to such camps by voluntary or-

ganizations, to whom thanks were due. Mr Alley mentioned that the staff of the Country Library Service was not able to cope with the full amount of extra work involved in dealing with the books that are arriving, but voluntary help in preparing books for circulation had been available through action taken by Mrs P. Fraser. It was expected that increasing use would be made of this very valuable assistance. LIBRARY PLANS A plan had been prepared for suitable library buildings to be erected at Burnham and Papakura, and had been forwarded for approval to the authorities.. The design, said Mr Alley, embodied suggestions made by leading librarians, its main purpose being to make available as economically as possible, essential conditions for the carrying out of an adequate . library service. Mr Alley submitted a sketch of the plan, which provides for reading and lending rooms, also facilities for open-air reading and a workroom. Another announcement made by Mr Alley was that the secretary of the New Zealand Boy Scouts’ Association had offered to raise with his executive the question of using the Scout organization in the house-to-house col-

lection of books. Not only are novels and books of general literature to be provided, but the plans embody also the purchase of a selection of reference books for each of the main camp libraries, Burnham, Trentham and Papakura. The list of works under consideration for this section of the service covers a wide range of subjects. In addition to the work that has been done in supplying books and magazines to the camp, arrangements have been made for the supply of suitable periodicals to the military hospitals and books and periodicals have been made up into parcels ready for placing on board troopships. The librarians of the public libraries are actively associated with the camp library service. An effective organization has been set up to deal with the collection and distribution of reading matter, but to make the service a real success the co-operation of the public is essential. In most homes there are books and magazines which could be spared. If they are made up into a parcel labelled “Library Service, Military Camp,” and left at the nearest public library they will be sorted and prepared for circulation. The greatest demand is for fiction, but it is suggested that a good rule to keep in mind by persons sending books is to select that class of book or magazine which the sender would be glad A continuous supply of reading matter is desired.