TURNBULL LIBRARY

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 256, 17 July 1918, Page 6

TURNBULL LIBRARY

ACCEPTED BY THE STATE A SEPARATE INSTITUTION BUILDING IN BOWEN STREET ' PURCHASED Cabinet yesterday approved of llie acceptance by the Government ol' the valuable historical library lel't to the State of New Zealand by the late Mr. A. il. Tumbull, of this city. Tho Minister of internal Affairs (tho 'Hon. G. W. Kusaell), whoso Department will have to do with the administration of the library, made a statement on tho subject last evening. "The valuable library built up by the late Mr. A. H. Tumbull over a period of many years, which contains an enormous number of books, manuscripts, etc., dealing with New Zealand, was by his will offered to the Government of New Zealand to bo maintained as a separate institution in the city of Wellington," said tho Minis-. tor. "The donor orders that tho man- > agement of the institution is to be based on the administration ■ of the British Museum and the Mitchell Library in Sydney. 'I.'he value of tho library Is estimated at .£50,000, but many of tho doo.u- I nients in tho collection will probably be regarded as priceless, for there are no duplicates in existence. The gift has now been accepted by the Government, and the Government has decided to purchase the building in which the library is now housed. Portion of tho building has been constructed as a repository for the library, the remainder being residential quarters. The library portion is four stories high, is absolutely fireproof, and it contains not only a great number of books, but a number of bound copies of newspapers- dealing with the early history ot New Zealand. Cabiuet has approved of the proposal that the collection shall bo named the Turnbnll Library in honour of tho giver. It will be directly controlled by the Government Chief Librarian, llr. Charles Wilson, and the general management of it. will be under the supervision of the- Science and Art Board, of which the Minister of Internal Affairs is chairman. The conditions under which access to the. library will be allowed to the public will be announced ; as soon as they already. 'In the meantime absolutely no access to tho library is permitted, and thu collection is under suitable supervision and care."