BOOKS FOR THE TROOPS

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 2, Issue 107, 8 January 1940, Page 3

BOOKS FOR THE TROOPS

hution of reading matter, but to make the service a real success the co-operation of the public is essential. In most homes there are books and magazines which could be spared. If they are made up into a parcel labelled "Library Service, Military Camp," and left at the nearest public library they will be sorted and prepared for circulation. The greatest demand is for fiction, but it is suggested that a good rule to keep in mind by persons sending books is to select that class of book iii;ip';!/.i ne which tile sender won! p be glad to receive. A continuous sup pi 3' of reading matter is desired

LIBRARY SERVICE

GOOD WORK BEING DONE

Encouraging returns covering a period of a little over a fortnight showing the response to the appeals for books and magazines for the benefit of the men of New Zealand's military forces, wciv contained in the report submitted by Mr G. T Alley, Officer in Charge of the Stale Country Library Service, to a rccent meeting of the Library SubCommittee of the Nation;.! Patriotic Council, The Country Library Service, in association with the New Zealand Libraries Association has undertaken the administration of the scheme to provide reading matter, althougn when Mr Alley prepared his report the collecting machinery had scarcely begun to operate. The total number of books received up to the end of November was 1006. In addition, there were notifications of another 41217 books being available. Of the books received, <K>:> had been sent to Trent ha m camp and 50 to one of the military posts aVound Wellington. Appreciation Mas expressed by Mr Alley of the great amount of help that had been received in making known the need for books, and also of the response to date. Camp Facilities. The lending library at Trentham Camp now has over 1000 books and fresh stocks are continually being sent to the camp. Recommendations have been made for the establish-

meiit of a reference room and a periodical room and for several other improvements. Only temporary library accommodation was available at Rurnhani Camp at the present time, Mr Alley reported ,but a good stock of books was available for men

in cam]) there as soon as satisfaclory library accommodation was provided. Steps had been taken to provide a library service at the Papakura Camp, and this would be inaugurated shortly, temporary accommodation being used in the meantime. Rooks and peridicals, Mr Allej' continued, had been sent to the unit serving on Mt. Victoria, Wellington, and to Waiouru, and

there were numerous camps to which a regular supply of books and periodicals would now be sent. Much material, however, had been sent already to such camps by voluntary organisations, to whom thanks were due.

Mr Alley mentioned that the staff of the Country Library Service was not able to cope with the full amount, of extra work involved in dealing with the books that are arriving, but voluntary help in preparing books for circulaltion had 'jcen available through action taken by Mrs P. Fraser. It was cxpected that increasing use woukl be made of this very valuable assistance. Library Buildings. A plan had been prepared for suitable library buildings to be greeted at Burnham and Papakura,

•md had been forwarded for approval to the authorities. The design, said Mr Alley, embodied suggestions made by leading librarians, its main purpose being to make available as economically as possible, essential conditions for the carrying out of an adequate library service. Mr Alley submitted a sketch of the plan, which provides for reading and lending rooms, also facilities for open-air reading and a workroom . Another announcement made by Mr Alley was that the Secretary of the New Zealand Boy Scouts' Association had offered to raise with his executive the question of using the Scout organisation in the house-to-house collection of books.

Not only are novels and books of general literature to be provided; the plans embod3' also the purchase of a selection of reference books for each of the main camp libraries, Burnham, Trent ham and Papakura. The list of works undei consideration for this section of the service covers a wide range of subjects.

In addition to the work that has been done in supplying books and magazines to the camp, arrangements h.:ivc been made for the supply of suitable periodicals to the military. hospitals, and books and periodicals have been made lip into parcels ready for placing on board troopships. The librarians of the public libraries arc actively associated with r l:e camp library service. An efTcc'"ive organisation has been sat up to !cn 1 with the collection and distri(Continued foot previous column)