BOOKS FOR CAMP LIBRARIES

Southland Times, Issue 24833, 27 August 1942, Page 4

BOOKS FOR CAMP LIBRARIES

UNSUITABLE READING MATTER Although there may often be a doubt whether a particular book is likely to appeal to a man or to a woman, there can be no doubt that •, no one would want to sit down and read a Sydney city and suburban tramway time-table for the year 1920. Yet a copy of this time-table was sent to the Y.M.C.A. Institution, Tay street, among a bundle of books and other reading matter for soldiers. This is an extreme example of the unsuitable volume, but many other books and magazines that have been sent in in response to appeals for reading matter for soldiers are also unsuitable because, while they may be quite good in some respects, they are not ot the type of reading that appeals to the majority of men., Women’s magazines, books that are quite definitely women’s books, boys books, old weekly newspapers and religious books and magazines are not likely to appeal to soldiers and are therefore not wanted. There is a big heap of books and magazines of this sort lying at the Y.M.C.A. institution dow, and some of them will eventually find their way to the waste paper depot. Others will be saved from that fate, but they will not be sent to the camps. A. more suitable use will be found for them. Recently Mr H. D. Farnall, city librarian, has been busy sorting out the books and his task has not been made easier by the large proportion of unsuitable reading matter included among the books that have been sent to the Y.M.C.A. PROPER LIBRARY SYSTEM The books are being selected for libraries at the camps. It was decided some time ago to put these libraries on a proper basis. This entails the cataloguing of the books, the issue of membership cards, and the keeping of a record of the books on loan. In other words, apart from the fact that no charge will be made to the soldiers, the camp libraries will in future be run on the ordinary library system. They will be in charge of the Y.M.C.A. authorities. One camp library of 400 books has already been established and another is in course of preparation. This has entailed a great deal of work for Mr Farnall and the staff at the Public Library. The cataloguing of 400 books is alone a formidable task. In addition many books sent in in a damaged conditions have been repaired. Badly damaged books are not selected for the camp libraries even though they may be suitable in other ways. These books are put on troop trains leaving the city for the use of the men on the journey. Books suitable for soldiers include detective and western novels, and indeed any type of novel with plenty of action. Digests are also popular, and so are pictorial magazines, and magazines which specialize in stories of the detective and adventure variety.

MEN IN OUTLYING CAMPS The Southland Territorial Force Association appeals to those who can spare the reading matter for parcels of books and magazines for the men in outlying camps in Southland.. These men are in rather isolated positions and books and magazines, highly prized in all camps, have a special value for them, since the available entertainment is restricted by circumstances. The chairman of the association, Mr S. A. Bell, will be glad to receive parcels at his office, the Commercial Bank of Australia, Esk street.