THE CARNEGIE INSTITUTE.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LV, Issue 287, 26 April 1913, Page 8

THE CARNEGIE INSTITUTE.

ANNUAL MEETING. The annual meeting of subscribers lo the Carnegie Institute was held last night in the Town Hall, the President of the Committee, Mr. P. White, presiding. There was only a poor attendance of subscribers. The annual report stated that the year under review was the first under the new arrangement with the Council, under which the Council set apart £IOO annually, which, together with the Government subsidy, is devoted to the purchase of bookß and magazines for the Library, the committee taking no further financial responsibility, the Council meeting all other liabilities and, taking all revenue. This arrangement has enabled the committee to place a large number of new books on the shelves. In addition to the £IOO set apart by the Council the committee will receive £23 Government subsidy making £123 available, of which the committee has expended £lO5 on new books, and magazines. !The accounts,, therefore, show a credit balance of £ls 10s. Dtir- [ ing the year £43 was spent on reference I and geueral literature, £42 on fiction ai.d £l9 on magazines. The number of subscribers now totals 225, as against 217 in the previous year. Members subscriptions increased'from £95 for the nine months ending March 31, 1912, to £l2B 12s sd" for the year ending March 31, 1913. On March 31, 1913, there were 7959 volumes in the library of which P7o' were added during the year. A recommendation was made to the ..Council to devote £SO next year to the preparation of a catalogue. "The Reference Libra*)-" has been well patronised arid efforts are being made to bring this branch of the library more up-to-date in view of its growing importance and usefulness. The reading room was open on 364 days, including 52 Sundays, and the attendance was good. The cutting and damaging of magazines was the cause of some annoyance, and in the event of any '«• fender being detected the Borough Inspector will take proceedings. THE MUSEUM. ' '' '■*"""'

With reference to the Museum the report states:—The Museum in the Town Hall still remains closed, and can only be viewed on application to the custodian. In order to aagin draw attention to the matter the committee set out the following which appeared under the head-, ing of Museum in their last year's-.rer port: Owing to the fact that the Museum is in the Town Hall and th,e Custodian's office is in the Carnegie building and the consequent impossibility of exercising proper supervision the committee removed some ,■ of 'the more valuable exhibits into the Library and closed the Museum in the Town Hall. It can now only be viewed, on application to the custodian.' It is a matter for regret that the Borough Council have not provided proper accommodation /or the Museum. It is known that- valuable records and mementoes of the past hisHory of the town and province are in the hands of private collectors, who would be perfectly willing 1 to hand them over, to the town provided £bey..were satisfied that the exhibits would.be housed in a fire-proof building and under the supervision of a custodian constantly on the premises when ,tl)e Museum is open to the public. Mr. W. H. Skinner, who possesses one of the finest and most valuable' collections in the Dominion, on leaving New Plymouth intimated hfs willingness, to donate his collection to the town,' provided, he was satisfied it would be securely housed, and there are many others who would do the same with their collections. It is hoped the Borough Council will seriously consider the question at the earliest possible opportunity as every year some of these priceless relics of the past, now held by private persons in New Plymouth, pass into the hands of others who have no direct connection or interest in the town, and in some cases pass out of the Dominion altogether.

GENERAL. Votes of thanks to the staff, to donators ■ and to the local Press were also embodied in the report. The report was adopted as read. Som,e discussion ensued on the preponderance of fiction, and the relative values of American and English authors, and the question was. also raised of the advisability of putting certain under lock and key, to be issued at the discretion of the librarian. It was resolved to adopt, this! course. Messrs. Dalby, Whetter" J "Moyes, and Barton were elected subscribers' representatives on the Library Committee.