THE LINWOOD LIBRARY.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 12407, 27 August 1918, Page 6

THE LINWOOD LIBRARY.

A CROWING CONCERN. FROM SMALL BEGINNINGS. " At the present moment wo have 72-37 books on our shelves, and a subscribers’ list containing over one. thousand names,” said Mr W, Midglcv, secretary of the Linwood Public Library, to a “Star” reporter who called in to hare a look round the .institution. At the moment Mr Midgloy was engaged entering up some, new books in the catalogue ledger, and this task concluded ho gave ilio pressman his attention. U needed but a gianco at tho tidy and well-furnished rooms, the. rows of shelves filled with books of good literature in good condition, tho silent and attentive readers at tho files, tho many searchers after the novel, sentimental or sensational, or tho work historical or scientific, to know that the task sought to be imposed upon Uio, secieta.ry would be ono of pleasure. 1

He fore the tour of inspection was set out upon a- little of the 'library’s carlv history was conned over. It was a case -of very small beginnings, the old Linnood.Borough Council Chambers being procured for the purpose of. a ibraiy, and for these a peppercorn ron ;fl l is paid to tile city. The prime movers m the scheme, originally mooteci a_4ittle over nine years ago, were the Hon G. W. Russell and Messrs W. M. Tanner, Alf. Marshall and D. liohardson, and those gentlemen wore among the first subscribers, a total of thirty altogether. A grant of £4O was rocoiverJ from the City Council, and with this amount books had to he picked up wherever possible. There was wicn no fastidious selection, it was fW a case of .getting books. The uiildmg then only consisted of two looms—a reading-room and 'tho subscribers room, and the secretary had o carrv out his work in a little ppreb- \ a .'- tbo method of cataloguing was ) 01 - v P rimi tiTo, one office diary Fulfilling many purposes, as can be gauged lioni a memorandum on the front page which runs:—- 14 By reversing this hook, and beginning from the end, will he totuid iho names of hooks alphabetically arranged-from their 'titles.” Other ways and means were 'equally in keeping with this little ' 4 backwoods ” vontme, ns was then. All that is changed now, and from a general management point of view Linwood can now justly ciaira tp ,bo within the metropolitan zone.

a battle for a subsidy from the City Council to achieve better tilings, -the committee made an offer to the city of £IOO towards the enlargement of the building, provided the council would find the rest of ths money necessary. This was agreed to, and the library authorities paid over a. cheque for £IOO-the aecumn. lated savings over a period of some vears—-and the city found the remain.dor of Hi© money, £3OO, on which the library committee, pays o per cent interest, The additions—-a fine largo subscribers’ room and a committee room—were completed three years ago, ami the two old rooms were converted into a magazine room tor subscribers and a public reading room. Even, so, such has since been the growth in popularity of tho institution that this improved accommodation is at- times now being found inadequate, and on Saturday nights, when tho folk from tar and near come in for their Sunday reading, there is but little room to move about in.

There is one very good reason for the progress that_ is being made by the Limvopd Public Library, and that lies in the fact that all, the old original members have maintained a consistent active interest in the institution. It is a labour of love with them; they are voluntary workers in the proper public spirit, and, with the exception of the caretaker, there is no one paid'wages. An honorarium is voted annually to the secretary, “and well he deserve* it,” remarked a committeeman, “as he spends all his available time here, even Sundays, keeping things up to date. The committee take turn about on duty when the libary is open from seven to nine o clock in the evenings, two being told off each night, and the carrying out of this work yonr out and year in speaks much for their pride in their district. In the earlier days-the subscribers used to pav at “ any odd time,” getting credit for a. month or two, but such is not the case now, as the treasurer’s books show. The fee is the small one of os a year, and the list of subscribers it is stated now includes people from all over the Greater Christchurch district and 'Now Brighton. There is no restriction as to place of residence.

/ One thing you can tell the people.” said*,-Mr■ Midgley, “is that they can always be sure of getting a good book P.v cormno; here. Of any work there is a great rim on wo buy from anything up to twelve copies, and oven these are not sufficient for the demand as is the case now with E. M Dell’s Groatheart.’ Then we have a bespoke list, and on the pavmont of 3d a subscriber has the right to the firstcopy in, being advised by postcard, and the book-is held for seven days. ‘Every care is taken of the books, and immediately one is showing signs of wear it is taken out for rebinding. Those which nave become too damaged are discarded and sold in bundles. M " "ohm round the second-hand bookshops the other day trying to pick up some books for a library just being formed,” joined in Air Drayton, “ the dealer remarked to me that one time Linwood used, to come in and buy boks by the hundred, but they did not do it now. I told him times had changed with ns.”

Sneaking of the class of book that readers favoured, it was said that the demand was for the modern novel. Dickens only had an occasional devotee, while, said the librarian of the evening, i gave out one of Mark Twain’s to-night. ' Ethel M. Dell and F, Mills loung. are at the moment the rulin" favourites, and to show the committee’s policy of enabling its patrons-to o e t tho earhest opportunity of reading the newest novels, Mills Young’s latestbook. ' Coolehs.' seven copies have been ordered. Some of the “ big rcaciers ' are said to bo going back to the old books, though. A children’s section has been recently formed, just away from the main bookshelves, and this is stocked with- wholesome literature, by Kingston, Marrvat-t, Ellis and other favourites, which so delights the youthful heart.

Lnst year the revenue from “bespoke’' books and the taking onfc of extra books totalled ncarlv £37. an amount about equal to the".full incomings of some similar libraries. From April 1 this year to August 17 the subscriptions received amounted to ,tB7 Us 9d. and extra books £2B 15s 3d. and ns the library is entitled' to a subsidy £ for £ up to’ £IOO such ; a grant has been applied for.

In connection with the new building the library committee itself put m the necessary furniture, electric fittings, ole., at a cost of £lO2 9s Id. which caused the reporter to say that this was a positive indication of piosperity. And.’ added Mr Drayton, “of our good financing.”

There have been very few occasions when the officials had found papers mutilated on the files in the. public reading roonij a. noteworthy privilege which the library grants. ‘ The principal papers in the. Dominion are kept here.

A look round the library disclosed an “apple-pie” stale of order—books well classified on the shelves, a, welltilled suggestion book, plenty of the best magazines arranged in the inner reading room, and a worthy observance of the notice, “Silence.” There are but few defaulters among such a. large number of subscribers, and in connection with these no effort is spared to make them fulfil their obligations. Nowadays suburban libraries are being founded on bettor terms than obtained when Linwond made a start, W in this pioneer thev have u

good model to cony from, and ft is incasing to learn that members of the bin wood executive are giving much hs- * stance to workers in other districts in tho realm ol literature, especially just now nit, Addington. As previously mentioned, the library s success ha.s been achieved on account of the right class of men being associated with it since, its inception. Jf yon ran t get a man to stick at it in a work like* this,” **. lS a commerit., “it is far hotter for him to get out. - [ n l.imvood results have proved that they are 14 stickers. 1 ’