TIMARU LIBRARY

Timaru Herald, Volume CXLVIII, Issue 21553, 16 January 1940, Page 6

TIMARU LIBRARY

Cultural Works In Demand Report By Librarian “A comparison of last year’s nonfiction figures ended December 31. 1939. with the issues to date shows a decided increase in the cultural and vocational section of the library reading,” said the librarian Miss A. K. Elliot, in her report to the Timaru Borough Council last night. Statistics showed that the book issues last month totalled 17.026 compared with 16.191 during December, 1938. In the juvenile department the issues were as follows, those for December. 1938. being given in parentheses:—Fiction 2190 (2201). class books 607 (521), total 2797 (2722). Miss Elliot commented on the various sections of the library as follows: Interest in History “Biography: The issues for 1939 were 7493—f0r this year to date there is an increase of 557. Travel and History maintain about the same steady rate, with an increase especially in history, owing to interest taken in international affairs. Literature shows a decided increase of 1403. the total issues for the nine months being 8951. “Fine and Useful Arts, and Natural Science have varied slightly each month, but usually also maintain an even standard. Natural science is a section limited to a few readers, not being a section of wide appeal; also not as many new books have been available for this section. Philosophy Religion and Sociology also maintained about the same level with a slight increase in each section. The sociology section, which contains books on economics, etc., showed a decided increase in September and October, when keen interest was taken in world affairs. “On the whole,” continued Miss Elliot, “the standard in the ncn-fiction has been well maintained. showing that a definite interest is being taken in the cultural and vocational side of reading and it is to be hoped that we shall not only maintain this standard but further still more than important development in library work.” Miss Elliot acknowledged a donation by Mr Matheson of two issues of “Zealandia,” a rare New Zealand magazine dated 1890. and “Travel in Australasia’’ (1885), with several pages on the Maoris, and the gift by Mrs Hope of several volumes of drawing of the Western Front by Muirhead Bone.