Period costume for 132nd anniversary

Press, 1 July 1983, Page 5

Period costume for 132nd anniversary

The Lyttelton library bustled yesterday as staff, dressed in period costume, celebrated its 132nd anniversary.

Book titles, the library premises, and of course the staff have changed since its establishment in 1851, but this did not detract from the anniversary celebrations of what is believed to be the oldest library in Canterbury. Colourful shipping company flags flew from the ibrary building, at the corner of Oxford Street and Sumner Road, while inside the quaintly dressed staff guided school parties around the well stocked shelves. The Wizard, a friend of the head librarian, Ms Wendy Gallagher, was one of the V.I.P.S who called during the day. The guest of honour was Mrs Isobel McLean, a former librarian who retired in 1978.

“It is just my kind of thing: opening things, cele-

brations, and so on,” the Wizard said. He must have been excited by the idea of a 132nd anniversary party because he turned up for the celebrations two days early, on Tuesday. However, his second visit, yesterday, was more timely and his antics amused the normally quiet browsers in the library. Celebrations for the two librarians and the Project Employment Programme workers at the library included a special afternoon tea and an appetising birthday cake, which did not seem quite big enough to hold 132 candles.

After studying issues of the old newspaper, the “Lyttelton Times,” staff were able to compile a history of the library. It opened as a reading room on June 30,1851, when it boasted a collection of 500 volumes as well as copies of Wellington, Lyttelton, and Sydney newspapers.

In 1867, the library shifted to new premises at Colonists’ Hall, Oxford Street. The Lyttelton Borough Council took control of the administration of the library from the Colonists’ Society in 1887, and has been in charge of it since.

In 1902, the library moved to the stone building at the corner of Oxford Street and Sumner Road. It stayed there until July, 1978, when it moved over the road to the present site. Among its features are a collection of history bodks about Lyttelton, and the “Lyttelton Times” room, which has 138 volumes of the newspaper.

P.E.P. workers are now gleaning information from these newspapers with the aim of establishing files containing historical information about Lyttelton. The library’s membership stands at 1370 adults and 590 children, with 100 out-of-town subscribers.