OUR LIBRARIES.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1409, 9 April 1912, Page 3

OUR LIBRARIES.

CONFERENCE CONCLUDED. PARLIAMENTARY LIBRARY. PRESENT CONTROL CRITICISED. llic Conference of tlio Libraries Association of New Zealand was concluded yesterday. Tlu> president (Mr. T. \X. l.eys) was in tlio chair. Additional delegales present were: The Hon. K. M'Xal, (representinfr tlio Victoria Library) and Mr. Ci. Hoi;ben (lnspeclor-General of .Schools). ilr. C. J. Parr moved; lhat it is in the public interests that the ParliamentaiT Library shall bo mado the nucleus of a National Reference Library; (2) that for this purp:>so the privilege of taking out books shall bo absolutely restricted to ins Excellency the Governor and the mombovs of the Legislature; (3) that the Library shall be open daily to tlio public as a rel'erenco library'subject to such regulations as the Government may prescribe." Mr. Parr said that he did not ndvocnto lu books indiscriminately from thei library, for the lending of books from a Parliamentary Library had no precedent in any other part of tlio world. Books should never bo taken off the library premises; rooms might be set apart for research purposes, but bevoiul these rooms no one should be permitted to tako any books whatever. At present there were some 400 or 500 persons enjoying recess privileges. Would it not be a far letter thing if, instead of restricting the library to a comparatively few, the institution wero thrown open for referenco purposes to all persons in the Dominion? The motion was seconded by Mr. J. Clark (Dunedin). He believed' that all difficulties in the way Df carrying out Mr. Parr's motion could be overcome, and tlio benefits accruing would be well worth while. Mr. T. W. Leys urged that parochial considerations should be forgotten in discussing this proposal. No doubt Wellington would be benelitid by the library, but the libr.iry would also attract students from all parts of the country. Books could be bought for it which no provincial library could afford. Mr. A. H. Hindmarsh, M.P., said the only question was how to make the best usß of the library in the interests of the Dominion. In his opinion the library should be absolutely divorced from Parliamentary control. It was absurd to suggest that Parliamentarians alone should have the right to take out books. There had been thefts from the library, and it was time it was put under proper control. It should be handed over to a national council, which should make its object to get as many readers as possible. •Mr. J. Craigie, M.P., supported the motion. Mr. H. Baillie said it seemed to him a pity that in a town like Wellington there should be two rcferenco libraries. If the Parliamentary library wero a reference library, 75 per cent, of the Wellington Public Reference Library could be in circulation. Mr. C. Wilson, Parliamentary Librarian, said he was iu entire sympathy with tlio first part of the motion. Many of the books in the library had been acquired with the object of building up a reference library in the future. But as soon as books were lent out, a library ceased to be a reference library, lor books wero not all available for use on'the spot. The cost of a national library would probably be about .CtiJJ a year. v

Professor G. -W. Von Zedlitz moved to add tho words, ''and shall for that purpose be vested in a body of trustees/' '-the notion that the library is a private c ub library for members of Parliament fi-nould be completely abandoned. Professor Von Zcdlitz's amendment was not seconded.

Mr. A. Iv. Atkinson moved as ail amendment fhat Clatiso 2 bo deleted. He thought this olauso was a ridiculous proposal. If the privilege of taking out books was to be permitted at all, it was surely absurd that-, the privilege should be limited to politicians. This infringed Clause 1 in principle, and it was not justifiable on any grounds whatever, lie was not defending the present state of the library, and the privileges now enjoved by a few people in Wellington, from parochial reaSO A S '. . recognised that it would bo °t 1?, & reater to the peoplo of \\ ellmgton to liavo a National inference Library hero, than to have tlio present limited privileges: It would be ten or fifteen years before tho present composite I'brary could bo developed into a Rational Eeference Library, but in the interregnum he thought the fullest possible use should be made of the book's now in the library not valuable for reference purposes. Mr. J. Trevor seconded the amendment. Mr. C. J Parr agreed that the three proposals should bo voted upou singly He had the same ideal that Mr. Atkinson had. that a National Reference Library ought to bo established, and, after all matters pertaining to the present-man-agement of the institution were of minor importance. At tho same time, he did not see how the practice of lending books to a limited few could be defended. On being put to the vote, clauses (1) and (,i) were carried unanimously, and clause w was lost by ten votes to four. library commission. A NEW PROPOSAL. Mr. T. W. Leys moved,— " T Ji a t representations be made to tho Government urging tho appointment of a Library Commission, comprising five members, of whom at least one shall be a woman, whose duty it shall bo to promote the establishment of country libraries, and organise and supervise 'lie supply of books to school libraries throughout tho Dominion; that no member of tho Commission shall receive any payment beyond travelling expenses, but that tho Commission shall have power to cugaga a secretary trained in modern • library methods, and mav employ such other clerical and other assistance, and incur such printing and other expenses as may bo necessary to carry o:i the work of administering the funds which Parliament may from tune to time appropriate for this purpose; two commissioners shall retire annually, but shall be eligible for reappointment, the term of oflico and •order of retirement of the first com- . missioners to be fixed by the Government when they are appointed." Mr. Leys urged that there ought to be a. body set up who would supervise tho snuill country libraries, supported almost entirely by tho Government grants. Their money was often spent badly on unsuitable books, and an advisory body might do much good. Ho also spoke iii support of the American system of travelling libraries, suggesting that some of the biiger libraries, especially tho Parliamentary Library, could be drawn upon for supplies of hooks. Professor Von Zedlitz seconded the motion. The proposal found support from everv member who spoke to it. but Mr. Wilson made the objection that the Parliamentary Library could not be relied upon to supply books for travelling libraries. He also insisted tint fiction ought never under anv circumstances to be supplied free. I'ropi'o ought to be required to pay for their iiovol-reading. Mr. G. Hogben, Inspector-General of Schools, spoke of school libraries. He pointed out that these were by no means boiiur neglected by the Gover'unu-ut, and lie did not think that I hey could be improved in management by the selling up of a commission. Air. T. W. Leys moved: "That a deputation be appointed to wait on Die Prime Minister and Die Minister for Kdncnliou to represent the necessity for placing country and school libraries on a belter fooling by increasing the Parliainenlarv grant towards their maintenance, by providing a better system of control and adminis! ration. and by establishing travelling libraries." This motion, which. as v;as pointed nut, was merely a corollary to the preceding one. was carried unanimously, and Ihe appointmi'iit of monitor- of the deputation was left to the executive. INFECTIOUS DISEASES. Mr. H. Pailli? moved:---"That in caso o£ serious infectious

diseases, the lie,'villi nfiircr givo notico

lu t lit! library. iiml hlm> servw notico at the house 111 which I lie patient resides, pointitiff out the <liuij;it to public health llii'miglt handing the l)t:o| v » back tu a circulating library- public, or otherwise—wil liont going through .some form of disinfection—ill serious cases being destroyed." Tlio mover said that ho had brought the mailer up (<i have it discussed, and to draw tlio attention of the conference to Iho matter. There was a by-law in the constitution of the Wellington I'ublie. Library against the use of books by persons siifl'cring l'roin cutancoiis or infections diseases, hut it. had accidentally come to tlie knowledge of the authorities that books had been used by a person siilloring from diphtheria and another by a man with eczema. This might disturb public contideueo in the library, if nothing was done to stop the spread of inleelious diseases through the agency of books. iMr. M'Kwen seconded tlio motion. Ho stated that a rule giving effect to the motion was in existenco in Dunedin in tho J'uhlie Library and in tlio Athenaeum, but thero tlio practice was to destroy books. He did not believe in fumigation. Mr. T. W. Leys said that careful investigation had showed that diseases were not readily spread by books. Any man believing that tliey were could never uso libraries, nor could he buy second-hand books. Ho thought tho portion of tlio clause relating to destruction of infected books was rather drastic. It might bo all very well in the caso of a three-and-six-penny novel, but not in the case of a book of value. The motion wag carried. JUVENILE READING. A paper on children's libraries was read by Miss Sievwright, who is in charge of the children's section of the Wellington Public Library. All the delegates at tho conference were apparently interested in it, and a long discussion followed, which strayed very far from tho matter j treated by Miss Sievwright. The.v all agreed that Miss Sievwright had achieved signal success in directing the rending of children coming under her view, but as she had only 200 in her charge, and as there are in Dunedin some GOO subscribers to tho children's library, her experience was not exactly like that of other librarians. The general'opinion qt speakers was that tho proper method of handling juvenile reading was by me- ! diura of school libraries, under the direction of teachers. A paper, treating the subject in a different method, was read by Mr. Baillie, the author of it being Mr. Elmerdorf, of the Buffalo Public Library. MISCELLANEOUS. Mr. H. Baillie moved,— "That this association approves of the principle of co-operative book buying, as tending to assist the smaller libraries, and remits tho matters to the Executive Committee, with a view to ascertaining how practical cfl'cct could be given to such a system, and to what extent country libraries would be prepared to join in such contracts either through the agency of country local bodies or of the association." The motion was carried unanimously. Mr. Thomas King moved,— "That the National Home Reading Union, in view of the useful work which has been dono by it, deserves the support of this association." Tho motion was seconded by the chairman, and carried, Mr. M'Ewcn (Dunedin) moved,— "That the secretary bo authorised to obtain literature from the United States suitable for circulation among libraries and associates." Tho motion was seconded by Mr. n. Baillie, and carried. Mr. H. Baillie moved: "That tho Postal Department t® asked to allow reduced postal rates for books posted from library to library." lie said that in bringing the matter forward ho had in mind some system of.interlibrary loans. Applications for books had come to him from other districts, and while these applications could not be granted, it might bo possiblu to make loans through other libraries. But in the sending of books by post, tho postage rates wero .1 .consideration.' Very much reduced rates were accepted for magazines at present, and ho did not see why books should not be subject to similar low rates. Tho motion was carried unanimously. One item on the order paper was discussion of papers 011 cataloguing and classification by Mr. H. Baillie and Mr. M'Ewcn. As this was a subject technical in character, Mid of interest mainly to librarians, it was arranged that it should be taken at a meeting of librarians, to be held at 10 o'clock this morning. Other members of the association, who happen to bo interested as the owners of private libraries, are free to attend the meeting. ELECTION OF OFFICERS. The election of officers resulted as follows:—President, Mr. A. R. Atkinson; vice-presidents, Messrs. T. W. Leys (Auckland). J. Craigie, M.P. (Timaru), and J. Clarke (DunodiiO i committee, Messrs. M. Cohen, C. J. Parr, A. H. Hindmarsh, M.P., D. M'taren, W. B. M'Ewan, If. Shaw, W. J. Morrell; secretary, Mr. 11. Baillie. A vote of thanks was tendered to the City Council for UlO use of the Council Chamber ,'md for other hospitality. Mr. J. Craigie invited the conference to sit for its next meeting, two years hence, at Timaru, and moved accordingly. The motion was carried. Votes of thanks, were accorded to Mr. C. Wilson, of the Parliamentary Library, for having given members an onDortunitv of viewing his library, and to Mr. A. H. Turnbull for having invited members to see liis private collection. Tho mover and tho seconder declnred that Mr. Turnbull had tho finest collection of New Zealand literature in the world.