LIBRARY TOPICS DISCUSSED

Chronicle (Levin), 4 March 1947, Page 2

LIBRARY TOPICS DISCUSSED

OTAKI LIBRARIAN REPORTS ON INTERESTING COURSE A course of three weeks' duration which she had attended was the subject of a report by the Librarian at the Otaki Public Library, Miss M. Thomson, to a recent meeting- of the Library Committee. Each day was divided into onehour periods during which different topics of interest were dealt with. The director of the Country Library Service, Mr. G. T. Alley, had given a very interesting talkj on the changing world and how| libraries and books had changed with it, said Miss Thomson. In the I early days in New Zealand libraries were on a subscriplion basis. In 1930 the first idea of moving books was started in the South Island, and from 1933 to 1937 libraries began distributing books by the hamper service. The Coun- j try Library Service was then ! formed and its operations expanded until in the 1945-46 year i-t was supplying books to all towns in the Dominion except the four main centres. Now three additions had been made to the service — loan collections, request service and a orained member of the staff who j could go to libraries and give | advice when thev were changing to , free libraries. Most libraries werei now endeavouring to bring the 1 country residents under the free 1 system also. Mr. Alley explainedj how the combining of all libraries; had an overwhelming advantage j over the former privately-owned libraries, and what a great benefit the Library Association was. Basic reference books ha-d been dealt with by Miss Fleming, conoinued Miss Thomson's report. She had stressed the need for librarians to study such books as bibliographies, catalogues, encyclopedias, yearbocks, handbooks, etc., and in which answers to many questions could be found. Miss Fleming also explained the different methods of classification and 1 cataloguing of books, and of giv- ; ing the public access to the cata- ; logue. I Books of fiction was the subject of a talk by Miss Taylor, who said | that they should be adequate in su'pply but not overdone. She urged that public libraries supply light fiction in their rental section and better fiction in their free sec--ion. Touching on administration, Miss Taylor said one of the njain points was to ensure that the pubnc was informed as to the service available at libraries. A knowledge of the wants of borrowers was essential in the buying of books, and there was a • need for librarians to study the problems of the day and their own distriets. Where uhe demand for a book was heavy duplication should -be made* and the spare copies sold. when it slack-i ened, while examinations should ,be made regularly and books not leaving the shelves» sold. Replacement of stock was of very great assistance and often proved more profitable than hours of-mending. Loan collections were a help to the stock problem, and from ten to 60 books could be collected on one subject. Miss Taylor advdcated the fullest possible use of tlle reqpest service. Miss Frankish had discussed children's books, while Miss Norrie, who had studied hospital libraries in the United States, ha.d given an informative lecture*on this work. Question periods had rajsed many of the problems which confronted all librarians. said Miss Thomson's renort, and they had proved interesting and beneficial. Visits had been made to the U.S.A. Tnformation Library, Wellington Central Library and Lower Hutt Public Library. In each place a study had been made of the methods in use. Miss Thomson received the committee's thanks for her report.