THE PUBLIC LIBRARY.
TO THE EDITOR. Sir, —I noticed a paragraph in your paper to-night regarding the increased borrowing privileges extended to the public by the Public Library. The same would bo of more value if there wore more readable books to borrow. Surely, before inviting the entire public of Dunedin to come along and cart away as many books as it liked, it would have been more sensible to increase the number of books in the library. As I understand the present system, one may walk in and take away two books; come back again and take two more; and so on, apparently ad infinitum. This has already had the effect of depleting the fiction section to such an extent that unless one crouches outside the building all night and dashes in when the doors open, one stands a very small chance of securing anything worth reading at all. ' Moreover, the library has been rearranged to allow of more convenient selection of one’s tastes. It has been rearranged, in fact, to such good purpose that the officials should go a little further and supply a map, together with chart and compass, to each miserable borrower. That is what is needed. It took me half an hour last time to find the latest books, but it was half an hour wasted, because there weren’t any “ latest books ” left. A year ago one could walk into the Public Library, and within five minutes choose an excellent book; today, it is not worth the bother of taking out a ticket when all that is offering is collection of books that should be relegated to the reference library instead of cluttering up the fiction shelves. I do not suppose for a moment that this letter will do any good, but I had to get it out of my system, the ruination of a good library had irritated me so much.—l am, etc., A Mere Borrower. September 21. [The council recently announced its intention of making a grant of £4,000 during the financial year towards reinforcing the stock and altering the building to cope with the increased business.—Ed. E.S.]
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https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/ESD19360922.2.109.7
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Evening Star, Issue 22450, 22 September 1936, Page 11
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355THE PUBLIC LIBRARY. Evening Star, Issue 22450, 22 September 1936, Page 11
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