A GOOD GRUMBLE.

Patea Mail, Volume VI, Issue 514, 1 May 1880, Page 3

A GOOD GRUMBLE.

Sir,— l would liko to draw the attention of subscribers to the Patea Institute, and of the public generally, to the manner in which the committee are neglecting their duties. They seem to allow the custodian to neglect his duties as much as he likes. In January last a batch of new books arrived, and were ticketed and classed along with the others ; at the same time a lot of old ones were put aside on purpose to bo sold at an early date. Now I, as a subscriber, should like to know, first, why a hew catalogue has not been made out ? second, why those old books have not been sold before this, instead of kicking about the floor of the library-for four months ? I would' also draw attention to the way in which the reading room is kept (I should say left alone).; The papers are in a disgraceful state, no two papers of the same kind” being anywhere near each other. There are a lot of papers there that look as though they had been on hand sis months. If a person wants a particuler paper, he has to go down through six inches of waste paper before hr gets at it, besides having to disturb everyone sitting at the. table. I should like to know where the subscribers’ money goes to, that the committee cannot supply paper files. Buteven withoutfilcsthe papers ought to be kept straight. It is bad enough to have to hunt for your paper, but it is warso to have to sit in the sun and .read it, when there are blinds which only want, hanging, but are stuck in the corner, where they have been for some months. Wh}' are thej not hung ? There is one more question I would ask. Is the present system of taking the numbers of the books issued the-best ? It is certainly the easiest, but is it the proper thing ,to : be asked, whenever a book is returned,' when you had it ? Instead of that,* the librarian ought to be able to look up the name and see if there are any more books out, and if they have been out too long. ■ A friend suggests that I should ask when stock was taken last. Hoping this will awaken the committee and the public generally to the state of affairs, —I remain, &c., A Subscriber to the Patea Institute.