CHILDREN'S LIBRARY.

Press, Volume LX, Issue 18239, 25 November 1924, Page 8

CHILDREN'S LIBRARY.

THE NEW WING. A DECIDED ACQUISITION. On Wednesday, December 3rd, the new juvenile wing of the Christchurch Public Library will be officially opened. That it will be a considerable acquisition to the public generally, and especially to the juvenile portion of it, is undoubted. It should also considerably add to tho convenience of the staff, and when in full operation, the Christchurch Library will be housed in one of tho largest buildings for this class of institution in the Dominion. from the exterior, tho most noticeable fact in. connexion with the new wing is, perhaps, the difference in the architectural style existing between the new portion and l the old. This alteration presents a marked contrast, but nevertheless the two classes of architecture seem to. harmonise, the variety adding, rather than detracting, from the beauty of tho whole. Speaking recently of school buildings, the Minister of Education, the Hon. C. J. Parr, stated that although ecclesiastical architecture had its advantages with regard to appearance, it nevertheless had its drawbacks when tho question of utility was under consideration. The same might be said of library buildings, and the difference tho old and new portions of tho Christchurch Library is marked in tho embodiment of "the old ideas and the new.

Both with regard to beauty and in the matter of utility, it appears that the new portion lias the advantage over he old. In the new wing an adequate system of natural lighting has been one of the chief objectives of the designers, and that their goal in this respect has been attained, will readily be admitted' by those who have entered tho juvenile section. Even in this respect, the difference in the stylo of architecture has been more than compensated for, but when the _ general improvements in the interior of the building have beon considered, the advantage of the new over the old is .moro readily appreciated. The new juvenile library, which is divided! from the old portion of tho building by means of a leadlight screen, is 42ft by 32ft. Directly abovo it is a lecture hall of tho same size. At the rear of these rooms a reference library extends 31ft on either floor, and the new offices are situated just inside the present main entrance in tho old building. It has been generally recognised for many years that the lighting in the old portion of the building is ineffective, and to improve this a series of new windows will bo let into the north wall of the present reading room. This should considerably improve existing conditions in this important portion of the building. The windows in the juvenile section, and, in fact, in all the new portion of the structure, can he thrown open at will. They,too, will provide a maximum of natural light, and their position—a fair distance above the floor—will allow 6ft 6in shelves to be accommodated beneath them.

Like the eld, the new portion has been erected of brick, with Oamaru stone facings, a bluestone base, and slate roof. The cost is £SOOO, Messrs Oollins and Harman being the _ architects, and Mr H. Hinkey the builder. Children's Department. The children's room itself is surrounded with low shelves, and reading desks and tables will shortly be installed. It will seat from 25 to 30 children, and the juvenile section will liave avaiable a stock of 1500 books ■ to begin with. Accommodation has been provided for a total of 3000 books, and it is anticipated that the present stock will be considerably augmented as time goes on. The books at present ready comprise all classes of juvenile literature, including works on the eea, travel, stamp collecting, science, history, ifiction, etc. Directly above this room is the lecture hall, which will be available for public meetings. It is designed to seat about 100 persons, and is surrounded by shelves containing newspaper files, etc. The downstairs portion of the additions to the reference library is devoted almost entirely to the housing of New Zealand works, while tho upstairs portion is similar in appearance to that of the lecture hall. These two additions alone have provided 50 per cent, extra space, for the reference library, . and it is now possible to station an assistant in this portion of the building during certain periods of the day. This member of the staff will bo able to answer any questions with regard to works desired by a reader, and will be able to exercise some supervision to prevent the mutilation of hooks, papers, etc. Mr E. J. Bell, the librarian, stated yesterday that he is doubtful if a finer children's department can be found in any of the libraTfes throughout the Dominion.