NEW CITY LIBRARIAN

Dominion, Volume 21, Issue 113, 10 February 1928, Page 8

NEW CITY LIBRARIAN

MR. J. NORRIE’S CAREER

Mr. J. Norrie, of the Leys Library, Auckland, who has been appointed to succeed Mr. H. Baillie as librarian of the Wellington Free Public Library, was born at Aberdeen, Scotland, and his early education was received at public schools there and in New York. On leaving school, he joined the staff of the Aberdeen Library as assistant in the reference and lending department, where he gained a thorough knowledge of the routine of a large library. Having risen to the post of principal male assistant, he was successful in 1901 in obtaining the posiion of deputy-librarian at the Public Library at Walthamstow, London, and whilst there attended the London School of Economics. Two years later he was appointed librarian of the

Kingston Distric Library, Glasgow, where he compiled a dictionary catalogue of nearly 10,090 volumes. In 1911 he was promoted to librarian of the Bridgeton Library, one of the largest in Glasgow, and next year he was honoured by the Corporation of Glasgow by promotion to the librarianship of Stirling’s Library, which was completely reorganised under his direction. In 1914 he was one of the three candidates selected by the Glasgow Libraries Committee in open competition, ami recommended to the corporation for the position of city librarian of the Glasgow Corporation Public Libraries.

In 1915 he joined the army and served in France until 1919, during the latter par of that term taking an active part in the reorganisation and development of the army educational scheme Mr. Norrie arrived in New Zealand in 1920'and was engaged in the educational department of Whitcombe and Tombs, Lid., in Auckland; and in 1921 he was invited by the late Dr. T. W. Leys to take over the librariansbip of the Leys Institute at Auckland, which librarv was reorganised under his direction He is keenly alive to and conversant with ancienl and modern literature, and has a working knowledge of foreign languages Outside bis immediate sphere of labour, Mr. Norrie has made it his duty to study the questions ol planning, venti kiting, lighting, and heating libraries, and also the general principles and practice of librarv man igement. Mr. Norrie is 47 years of age, and is married.