WANGANUI PUBLIC LIBRARY.

Wanganui Herald, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 11167, 30 January 1904, Page 7

WANGANUI PUBLIC LIBRARY.

Annual Meeting*

The annual meeting of subscribers to the Wanganui Public Library was held at the Library yesterday evening, 31. Eyre Kenny, Esq., presiding. / MINUTES.— The minutes of the previous meeting were read and continued. ANNUAL REPORT— The annual report, which waß aa follows, was adopted, on the motion of the R^v. T. B. Maclean: — "The directors ■ submit their annual report lor 1903. The number of subscribers for the year was 354, and is shown in detail in the accompanying. tables. The subscribers are requested to bring before new-comers and others the advantages of subscribing to the Library wliich provides in periodicals alone reading matter that is well Avorth the annual subscription. The facilities given to persons wishing to eabscribD for a short time should be madc'Tcnown as widely as' * possible. The enlarged-subscribers' read'mg room now affords a comfortable place of resort and ie well supplied with magja^inps and reviews. During 1 the past year jGPO 4s iia-ve been paid by subscribers for short periods. Subscribers for one month are charged 2s, for three months 5s 6d.' In this way, subscrilMTS who may wish to sub- - scribe for the purpose of reading any particular \}ook or booKEy or who;ior any other reason, '; desire, to subscribe' for a short period are Kberally provided foi\ The.advantages of the- Free* Public Reading Room ought to be better known amongst those who, for any reason, arc not - subscribers. The Free Public Room is not only supplied with the latest papers, well lighted and orderly kept, but eyery person frequenting it can Save- a book to read in the Public Heading^ Room from the lending or reference library on application to the librarian. The usifal yearly supply Of books was ob- j tamed, fcomprisiujf general literature as? j well as fiction. The small monthly suvuly. besides novels, always includes a portion of <*' popular .works of general" literature, including amongst other subjects travel and biography, thu^ endeavouring to make tlu 1 in-; etitlltion valuable for educational literacy purposes as well as for the enjoyment of higher literature. The JSOU bequest of the late Mr Wm. Alexander which had been put out at interest has been utilised as follows: — 4JIO0 1 was devoted to- redemption of dcljentures;, .15131 19p 2d for replenishing standard works to the number of 72-t. and 0C2(58 Us 10d was .anejit on. additions to the subBcribers'|reading room and to the free public readings-room, and to furnishing 1 the same. Inaddition an amount of £36 2s 2d was provided out of general revenue in .ud for thif»- purpose. These additions are a manifest improvement'; mul have been oppireci^ted by those using this department of the . library. In order to enable directors to meet liabilities, subscribers arr urged to pay, up subscriptions in arrears. The directors beg 1 to :hank those newspaper propnet6r*> who have -supplied the reading room with free copies of their journals. The dirpo tors thank the Borough Council for the annual subsidy of £50 for the year; they. also thank the Waitotara Couuy Council for a> grant of ,£ls, aud the AVaugaoiui County Coiincilfor a grant of X^IO. An amount of £l§ 11s was received from the Government out of grant for public libraries for the year." The Chairman, in the course of his rem»rk£i, referred to the successful year of the Library. Subscriptions had increased Ijy MIS, subscribers by 31, the circulation of books by 3452, and magazines in parts by 875. The conveniences provided -for aub- - Buribera and vipltors to the town for writing letters had been much appreciated, paper and envelopes being provided free. Referrinjr to Mr Carnegie's offer, Mr Kenny said: It having' been sta.tpd by a writer in the ''Herald" stipplement that the directors were dealing with Mr Carnegie's* offer in a secret manner, it may be as well to state that Mr Carnegie's letter was brought before the directors at their meeting of No- . veniber 6 last. It was at once seen that the conditions made it impossible of acceptance. The letter was handed to and published by the Press. Mr Carnegie makes it a condition that any library that he asr'nis shall be absolutely free both in the lendi-ig and reference , departments, and must, moreover, be supported by a rate levied on, tho • community. These conditions being complied with, Mr Carnegie undertakes to give sufficient money to put up a building. The maximum rjite.. levied on. property in Wanganui would produce i 5300, subsidies from Government amd Comity Council."

JE4O, sale of waste paper £o, from entertainments, _.a problematical amount.,, say,* .£4O; a tofcaTof '2B3Bs', 'or £30 more than the year's revenue. With a free library, instead, j ' of 300 borrowers, '•wte-»w t e-»h s oTild I JiaYe overSPOO j to cope with. This would require a .staff of j from fii?6,.to seven, with an expenditure for j salaries of-=L£4SO; for gas and fuel, £25; fdr j printing and advertising, £6; miscellaneous expenses, JE10; insurance ,£W; papfrs and period)calf; .£6O j r and fpr books, A 750 ] (.£BO being reqftfred?"in flarty<*o meet- the requirements of 350 readers ? JE7GO is not an extravagaat estimate for over 3000). That is, a sum of oveV <£li*oo per annum woul-J be required to efficiently carry out a free library scheme. '* '. DIEECTOBS.-^-Tlie following oflic-^rs ■were elected : —Messrs J. T. Stewart, r. M. Spurdle, G. Canssou, T. Allison, H.. 33. I>ymock, J. D. Greig, H. B. Watspn,, iS. 11. Nixon, G. S. Bridge," C. A. Barton, Rev. 1\ B\ Maclean, and Miss Fraser. APPRECIATION.— On the motion of Mr Spurdle, seconded^by Mr Greig, it ws»s / resolved that the thanks ol the directors be accorded- to Mr H. l^yre-Kenny ;or the valuahle . services- rendered by hirfi whi)e pferforming 1 the duties of chairman of directors. AUDITOR.— It. was resolved that a hearty votPef thanks Be accorded 'Atr^A*. C. Ritchie for his. sernces af auditor,. aud lie vran unanimously re-elected to the position. - RECOMMENDATION.,— 'Mr Wwn moved, and it was resolved, piat it be a recommendation to the incoming directors thufc a>2«py of Ihe annual report be posted to each subscriber a few da.ye> prior to the next annual meeting. MEETING, OF DIRECTORS.

A meeting of directors (of Avhoni there were present Messrs Dymock, Greig, Watson, Spurdle, and Bey. Maclean) was then held. Mr Greip wa.s elected chairman of directors, Mr J.T. Stewart secretary, and Mr H. E. Dymock lion treasurer. It waf« resolved that a record of appreciation of the services of Mr J. D. Greig be placed on the minutes.