THE PUBLIC LIBRARY.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 4322, 9 December 1893, Page 6

THE PUBLIC LIBRARY.

p m -* When, eighteen or twenty years ago, the building and opening of the brick 1 portion of the Public Library facing | Oxford terrace were chronicled, an event was recorded which was thoroughly creditable to Chriatchurch. The arrangements | then made were ample for existing require- | menta; but gradually Christchurch has advanced and grown till the necessity for enlargements and rearrangements led to ; the improvements which visitora to the inatitution have noticed during the last few daya. Chriatchurch now has the credit of possessing the handsomest rooms as libraries that are to be seen 'in the Colony. Exclusive of ' the newspaper reading-rooms, those devoted to the circulating and reference libraries have a ! floor Bpaee equal to about 100ft by 70ft. t The circulating library now occupies the ; whole room which before was devoted to i the two, and the dividing screen having been removed, a handsome room 60ft; by 40ft, and lofty in proportion, ia the result. Re-decoration and rearrangement have completed the work, and now there is for the use of subscribers not only probably the handsomest but one of the mosc pleasant and most convenient libraries in the Colony. The walls and ceiling have been distempered, and the heavy dark wood panelling of the ceiling has been ! cleaned and varnished, and the floor has j been re-covered with new linoleum. The I book-snelves line three sides of the room, i and there are also two rows of standing ! double shelves placed a short distance i rom the north and Bouth walls, and orming two corridors. At the west end of he room stands the sub-librarian's desk and j ounter, and facing it, down the centre of i the room, are broad tables, on which lie the j magazineß, illustrated papers, &c. It will j be seen at a glance that the book cpace is greatly increased, there being now about 2400 feat of shelving, giving room for about 15,000 volumes. Afc one end of the librarian's counter a small compartment in which work inseparable from the conduct of such an institution, cataloguing and marking books, &c, can be conveniently performed, has been made by an arrangement of book-cases. Against one book-shelf has been placed a board, which may interest subscribers. It has been found that readers use letters as book-markers, and occasionally leave them in the books. On being found by the assistants they will be placed in the rack on this board, so that the owners can obtain them again easily. It should be no tad by the public that this circulating library and room are exclusively for the use of subscribers, and in future those who — not being subscribers —attempt to use them will render themselves liable to the unpleasantness of being asked to retire. The reference library, opening out of the circulating library, is newly erected. It ib 49ft z 31f fc, the walls 25ft high, with an open roof with varnished beams and timbers aud lit by six large skylights. It has 1500ft of shelving, with accommodation for about 10,000 volumes. These J shelves are in cases about Bft high, eo j made that at some future time a j gallery may be built round the room. They are arranged in the alcove system, and the necessity for the old objectionable, noisy ladder-steps exists no more. The ; room is warmed by an extension of the hot I air pipe system by which the other room ia j heated. Ga3 is laid on and fourteen I burners give ample light during the even- 1 | ing. In the centre of the room large tables ! l are arranged, on which magazines, art : '• journals, musical periodicals, &c, are laid. ' j It will be seen that in both rooms there ; is ample space for the number of books which are being constantly added to the libraries. Monthly packets from Home are received, and besides the Bixty-two magazines regularly laid on the tables, tho average additions are sixty volumes by each. mail. The alterations and re-arrangements which have been effected were managed with only two weeks' closing ; Mr Strong and his assistants, working night and day, almost, carpenters, plasterers and paintera ; being busy in the rooms at the same time. j Besides taking down, removing and rearranging the books, the whole collection had to be gone over and dusted three or four times. To Mr Strong is due the credit of the arrangements, which were left in his hands. Mr Thompson, of Durham street, did the decorating, Mr Taylor the carpentering, and Mr Hemeut the gas-fittinga. HolIiOWAT's Ointmkht and Puts are beyond all doubt the most valuable and most convenient medicines that travellers can take across tho seas to distant cltines, for change of olim*ta and fcho new conditions and eurromidinss of life to whioh they will be exposed will asa. redly give risato great dvturbancea of the system and to such especial morbid states of the blood and constitution generally ' no will render the usa of these effectual remedies highly necessary, for they will find in them a ready and safe means of relief in most of the diseases which afflict the human race, and with them at hand thoy may be said to have a physician always at their call. The latest additions to the Zoo are three tigera presented by the Princess Beatrice Lions and tigers are particularly used by Eoyal persona as gifts, and the Zoological Sooiety has frequently been presented with these animals, not only by the Queen and members of her family, buc by Indian Sovereigns. The names of the donors are always inscribed on the label which is attached to the cage iu the lion house. W. Sibanqs and Co,'s good tailoring,