LEVIN PUBLIC LIBRARY.

Levin Daily Chronicle, 8 November 1917, Page 3

LEVIN PUBLIC LIBRARY.

At Monday night's meeting of tiiu Borough Council theiibraria.il (Air i>. R. Gaiucner) iirescnted tho following report on the Levin Public Library : —

D.wmg the year ending .March 31st. 1917, the 'lending Department o. tlie Library loaned to Donowers, no loss than 25,UU/ books divided amongst 450 person* whose names appear upon the constant list of borrowers.

Maintenance: It must be patent to ai'i i'i.at the continual use of this large number of booiks must cause the coi p of maintenance to :niu into a large 'amount annually. Books must ibe replaced, and new ones obtained to keep the leading matter up-to-da/be.

Donations: Last year outsidla of a subsuly received) from the County Council, only £5 10t, Od was 1 received from persons obtaining books from the library, which averages about only 3d. icacii among the 450 persons meaijbion..cld,

Cb : Last year the upkeep of the Library amounted to £190 3s 4d iwhitlli included salaries, bookjs, papers etc. and general! maintenance. Of this amount £5 10.s <jd was received in donations, fines £3 15s 7d, and subsidy from the Coumiy Council £25, leaving tho Borough Council to find £150 17s 3dl.

Boi; rowers: At the present )t(jine no less than. 490 persons are using the lending department oif the library, and it can be imagined |':hat to keep a constant flow of books for readers, a 'large expenditure is required. It may bo stated that 200 of tihe 490 borrowers are living out iJde of the Borough, and reside in Manakau, Ohau, Village Settlement, Koputaroia, Shannon, ilhakara, etc. etc.

Voluntary Donations: In bringing I before the public (and more so the bor

rowers of books) the necessity of supporting the library, it may be pointed out I .';< at if oadli of the 490 borrowers gave a voluntary donation towards purchasing 'books, of 5s each, over £122 would be obtained which would mean at the ileaist 800 adiditional volumes for use aiMiinaHy, or even if 2s 6d annually wa.s donated by oacli borrower, £60 odd would bo obtained which would nieian equal to 400 books eacih yea'r. Ip is hardly necessary to ipoint out th'at with the steady increase of borrowers more books must bo obtained, ofchenviso ishe library will los© its usefulness, .and with 20,000 to 30,000 'booikis going round, it can be seen the read'ng matter ii- soon used up, without ofeliers tare obtained in their places.

Till© UpTteep : The Committee understands tihat there is an impression aimong tlie borrowers that ;blie library obtains other (support, independent of the money paid, by the Council and donations. Such is not the case, liJie ratepayers having to mialke up the deficiency each year out of General Hate and the amount found in this manner, by fthe ratepayers, durfng the following years aire .as follows:—

Maxell 31st. 19'13 £162 7s. March 31st 1914 £129 los 4d, March 31st 19M.5 £121 153, March 31st. 1916 £1.5-1 16s. March 31st. 1917 £106 7s 3d, ora total of £725 lis 3d for five years' upkeep.

It must afco be remembered that- during the lasii three years no subsidy has

■Ron obtained from the Government, which means a loss of some £24 per annum. 'The Commiitteo feels that in just-ice to the ratepayers it is not fair I'm take more from the General Rate than what lias been done in the past, on account of the ratepayers being only a small proportion of borrowers in comparison with those residing outside of the Borough and non-ratepayers. Borrowers must lief; forget that all donations are spent on obtaining new books, and it is to their advantage that a constant supply be obtained.

Maintenance Charge: It mus'b be recognised that unless .something is done on the line indicated that a compulsory maintenance charge will have to he made. The Commiiutee have considered the position many times and have come to the conclusion that if not more voluntary assistance is given tin the near fulbure, that they will have to make a recommencitation to tih'e Council to make an annual maintenance charge t)o borrowers of books, but trust that $his will not he necessary wlien £ho public understands tho position.

The librarian, (supplementing his report, showed how little money was available by 6tatdng that for |t.he eigjlit ■months of the present year salaries, maintenance and insurance had swallowed £7*l, leaving only £21 for the purchase of hooiks. Receipts during that period only totalled £4 14s Bd. For the remaining four months only £20 was available for books and papers, making a total for the year of £62The increase oif subscribers made it a heartbreaking job to keep pace with the demand fo'r books and tho position was becoming very acute. The Mayor said the report was a very valuable one and its publication should awaken tho public to the neccV of '--he situation. It .was decided to loavei 'further discussion of the report to a lo(:er meeting-