LINWOOD PUBLIC LIBRARY.

Press, Volume LXVI, Issue 19957, 18 June 1930, Page 2

LINWOOD PUBLIC LIBRARY.

ANNUAL MEETING. NEED FOR NEW BUILDING. The twenty-first annual meeting of the Linwood Public Library was held laet evening. Mr D. G. Sullivan, M.P., a vicepresident, occupied the chair, in the absence of the patron, Mr J. A. Flesher. There was an attendance of about 100 subscribers.

The annua) report stated that during the year ending May 31st, 1930, the membership allowed a decrease of 159. A total of 1778 new bookß had ueen added, and 978 discarded, making a net increase of 800 volumes. i>uiing tlie year m Ooona were u»oueu, an average oi HW a day. it audod tiiat tiie pi ogress oi tlie iiorary was oemg returaeu, to some extern, oy mcK oi space, I'ne public and subscribers' reauing rooms should be considerably enlarged, and the juvenile beet ion' nas totally inadequate lor the needs oi the children of the district, while the lending department was barely' large enough tor the work of a busy afternoon or evening. It expressed the hope chat in the near future the needs of Linwood would be better catered for by the provision of a building of more modern architecture. Mr Sullivan, in moving the adoption of the annual report, said he was staggered by the extent of the library's activities, and at the large body of subscribers it supplied. It certainly must rank high among similar suburban libraries in other parts of New Zealand. The figures of books issued to subscribers were splendid—an average of 322 books being taken out in a day—and he congratulated the library on cultivating a splendid nonfiction department The way the work had been organised and distributed among the subscribers themselves was n fine thing, and the success of the library was a tribute to that work. He added that when the City Council ?ame to get out the estimates for the year there was the difficulty caused by excess of requests for money over the supply, and the securing of the new library may be delayed on that account. However, he urged that the request for a new building be put forward, as the Linwood Library was worthy of a modern structure. Cr. T. W. Butterfield also congratulated the library on its fine work, and he stated that he hoped the question of securing a new building would be pursued at an early date. A suggestion by Mr A. Brettell. on behalf of the committee, was that the Christchurch City Council yard and stables adjoining the library be removed. and on that site a new library building erected. The chairman in reply Baid that it anv more was to be done for libraries the money would have to be got from the general ratepayers, and at the present it was difficult to say whether they would agree to a library rate. Times were not good, and a large portion of the ratepayers were against anything which meant an increase in rates. The Council was m sympathy with the idea of public libraries, and he could say that' the Council would do all in its power to secure better conditions for libraries such as Linwood.

The balance-sheet showed the receipts for the year to be £1025 4s lid, and the expenditure £IOO6 9s Id. leaving a credit balance on the year's working of £lB 15s lOd. There was a "bank balance of £202 Is 7d. The annual report and balancesheet were adopted The flection of officers resulted Patron, Mr J. A. Flesher; president, Mr E. E. Wiltshire; vice-prtsidents, Councillors M. E. Lyons, E. Pnrlane, D. G. Sullivan MP. Messrs A. Bret tell. H. Burson. D Richardson and A. E. Salve.ien; trustees Messrs W W. Tanner, and D. Richardson: auditors. Messrs A. Brettell and H. W. Fried man: committee Messr" H. Bnllan. L B RMlan. H. J. A Bunker. T) Carson. M J. Clark. C. .T C"x. D Davis A S. Forrester. M. Foster. H. W. Friedman E. A. Harris G N. Havlev C J Henty L. R P Hie(rntt T. H. Hnnkins & W. Rino-. A. G. Tnkp. F J. Nash C A. H Mnff G. N> Ormandv M R" , l« C P. Rutland A E <2nlvo=en. E G. Thomas (treasurer). W T. Vaughan. and W. G. Wigglesworth.