BOOK THIEVES

Hokitika Guardian, 15 November 1927, Page 4

BOOK THIEVES

SYDNEY LTBR ART'S LOSSES..

SYDXEY, Xov. 3

One regrets to have to record the so 1 fact, but it is nevertheless true that Sydney’s hook thieves, who appear to ho no less active than thieves .in the ordinary walks of crime, include people with a penchant for religious literature. It is remarkable how people abuse privileges which they ought to preserve most jealously. For the mere signing of a card, the world’s best hooks, in every domain of literature, are available, day and night, to the people of Sydney, at the Municipal Library. They can change them as often as they like, and can even reserve hooks which particularly take their fancy. It costs them nothing, yet the hooks which leave been missing, to put it politely, from the library the last two years involve a loss of more than CItIOO. One* device is to compel people who carry hags or other handy receptaies into the library to leave them at the counter, to he returned when thov have chosen their hooks, hut the thieving goes on. Close mi fifty religions hooks are among the missing the last two years. Of the missing hooks last year, fiction headed the list with the total of 850, which, however, shows a deerenso of more than 300 compared with the previous year. That may he either a tribute to the improved morals of a section of the people, or a reflection upon the latest output of liction writers. The youngsters have a fine library all to themselves. That shows a shortage of 233 hooks, which is one more than in the previous year. But it might have been worse, since the books issued from the library during the year totalled no fewer than -137,05-1. City aldermen cannot understand sometimes why tho Council is burdened with the upkeep of an institution which is patronised almost wholly by people* who live in and swear allegiance to other municipalities. Perhaps tho new Civic Commission when it gets to work with the broom at the Town Hall will look into this aspect of tho library, {•specially when so many people lorgct to return hooks which cost them nothing.