The Daily News SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 1935. RURAL LIBRARIES.

Taranaki Daily News, 9 November 1935, Page 6

The Daily News

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 1935. RURAL LIBRARIES.

OFFICES: NEW PLYMOUTH, Currie Street. STRATFORD, Broadway. HAWERA, High Street.

In his address to members ofithe Women’s Division of the Farmers’ Union and others at New Plymouth yesterday, Mr. J. Barr, Auckland City Librarian, made the observation that public libraries are not a luxury but a necessity to any progressive community. The statement contained a challenge to the public mind and conscience, but Mr. Barr’s address embodied much more than a challenge. It gave details of the grievous plight in which public libraries in the smaller communities find themselves. He read statements from library committees in every part of the Dominion, and the burden of them all was that of efforts crippled for lack of means wherewith to obtain a suitable supply of books. As individual units there is little hope for the rural libraries. Linked together in a national plan of co-opera-tion, Mr. Barr contended, such libraries could be developed and kept well supplied for a smaller aggregate cost than that of the individualised efforts. He sketched a Dominion plan, somewhat akin to the counties scheme of Great Britain, which he considered could supply an adequate library service throughout the smaller towns and the rural districts of the Dominion for a sum of £30,000 to £40,000 a year. For the purposes of his address Mr. Barr dealt with libraries serving communities with less than 12,000 inhabitants. The present condition of those libraries, with a few exceptions, is deplorable. Among the towns which had provided adequate library service he placed Hawera first, and Inglewood also ranked among the towns where conditions were better than in other districts of similar size and population. Briefly, the plan sketched by Mr. Barr was for a national central library in Wellington, supported by area centres with existing libraries, institutes, clubs and farm homesteads acting as agents for distributing books and carrying out local library duties. At each area centre there would be a depot for books controlled and supervised by a trained librarian and his staff. The librarian for the area would visit local agencies and give his advice and assistance in order that co-ordina-tion of library service might be complete. There would be cooperation also with the large public, university and special libraries, as well as with the National Central Library. By this means supply of special and often expensive books could be made available to the rural student as it is to-day to the student who is fortunate enough to live within reach of good libraries. Mr. Barr made it clear that much has yet to be done before such a-national scheme can be launched. There is, as he said, much missionary work to be done, but it is peculiarly fitting that women’s organisations for the betterment of rural conditions should interest themselves in the question of rural libraries. Some of those organisations are doing their best to supply the “library” needs of the rural districts, but their efforts are limited by the resources available, just as is the case with the individual library. The need is for a system whereby rural children and students may have library resources equal to those offered to students and children residing in towns. For its success a national organisation is essential, and now that the movement has been brought before public attention it should have the hearty assistance of all who are interested in the improvement of the library system throughout the Dominion. The Prime Minister has announced that the Government is sympathetic towards a national library system. If agitation for its establishment is as continuous and convincing as it ought to be, that sympathy should be transformed into definite action without much further delay.