GOOD YEAR FOR LIBRARY

Southland Times, Issue 24174, 10 July 1940, Page 4

GOOD YEAR FOR LIBRARY

INCREASED VOLUMES OF NON FICTION

INTEREST IN WORLD AFFAIRS “It is pleasing to report that in spite of a curtailed expenditure on fiction, the high cost of books and strong opposition from book club libraries, the Invercargill Library has had a very successful year,” states the annual report of the City Librarian (Mr H. B. Farnall). “Another pleasing feature worthy of notice is the marked increase in the issue of non-fiction works in the lending department. The demand for books on international affairs has been most noticeable, necessitating the buying of many extra copies.” Books and periodicals issued to subscribers numbered 79,127, an increase of 6082: of those 55,686 were fiction, an increase of 2295, and 15,707 non-fiction, an increase of 632 on the previous year. That, in the present circumstances, must be considered very satisfactory. The reason could be attributed to two causes, the higher cost of books and many readers leaving the book club libraries looking for a wider and better range of reading, which could be procured only at municipal libraries, continues the report. SERVICE FOR CHILDREN

“One of the greatest improvements made by New Zealand libraries in recent years has been in their service to children. One result of this has been the making of most juvenile libraries free to subscribers—Palmerston North and Wanganui became free last year. 1 am of the opinion that the time has arrived for Invercargill to follow suit and I recommend that the matter be gone into during the coming year. “It is to be regretted that six of the country schools have had to discontinue subscribing to the Juvenile Library because of lack of funds or inability to make the necessary arrangements for the regular changing of their quota of books. There are now 41 of these schools on the roll with 513 subscriptions. They changed 3140 books in the year. This service to the schools is greatly appreciated by teachers and scholars. Numerous inquiries have been dealt with in the reference department for various subjects not in book form, most of which have been satisfactorily met, thanks to the back numbers of periodicals which are filed, and also to the index to periodicals which is taken in the library in monthly pails and later in the annual volume. Many requests by the telephone for information have been received and answered.

To help readers on several occasions books have been borrowed from Auckland. Wellington and Dunedin through the inter-loan service established two years ago by the New Zealand Libraries’ Association. By this means any book not in one library may be borrowed from any other library in New Zealand. NEW ZEALAND COLLECTION To the New Zealand section were added 95 volumes, 43 being given, making a total stock of 3858. There were nine volumes of local newspapers bound, and six volumes of the 1864 and 1876 volumes rebound. This valuable collection is being kept well up to date by the addition of both new and old publications. The books are frequently lent out to subscribers to the lending department, and daily the case has to be unlocked and various books given to visitors and residents to read in the reference library. This stock will next year be considerably added to by the addition of the centennial books at present being published, also by a number of books and pamphlets collected for the same purpose and presented to the library by the local historical committee.