MORE SUN; FEWER BOOKS

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 557, 9 January 1929, Page 11

MORE SUN; FEWER BOOKS

SUMMER TIME KEEPS PEOPLE IN OPEN REMUERA, BEST-READ SUBURB Sunshine seems to be an enemy to books and reading. Last year’s daylight-saving experiment and I the splendid summer resulted in about 16,000 fewer volumes being used in the reference department of the Public Library than in 1927. Another interesting fact culled from the return's of the Auckland city librarian, Mr. John Barr, is that the reference library is not the haunt of people seeking recreational reading, but of the serious-minded anxious to increase their knowledge of art, craft, science, religion and history . SLUMP ON FICTION “Useful arts,” that section of the! library which deals with all manner j of technological subjects, from, j perhaps, the breeding of Angora rabbits j

to the making ot airplanes was, last year, and for many years previous, easily the most popular. It maintained a 3,000 volume lead over “history and biography” and “literature, and language,” and a 5,000 lead on "philosophy and religion,” the next sections in popularity. Few indeed are the people who go to the reference department to read light fiction. Only 2,595 vol-umes—-the smallest number of any section —were taken down from the shelves in 1928. The total number of books used in the reference department in 1928 was 105,349, as against 121,197 in the previous year. Useful arts headed the list of sections with 16,663 (18,291), the next in popularity being “literature and language,” 13,737 (17,365): “history and , biography,” 13.352 (14.510); “philosophy and religion,” 11,224 (11,945); “commercial,” 10,576 i (13,051); and “sociology,” 10,094! (10,676). At the bottom is poor “fic- j tion” with “general works” just above j it with 4,689 and “science,” “travel,” j and “fine arts” rising in numbers. Business men have evidently been taking full advantage of the commercial section, which % is placed just inside the door. The trade and general directories, statistical records, year books, dictionaries of technology, encyclopaedias, market and tariff reports, have been much thumbed. WELL-READ REMUERA The most well-read suburb in Auckland is Remuera, according to the lending library returns, the branch there doing much greater business than the next best, Grafton and Epsom. Unlike the reference department, the lending department shows an increase over 1927, nearly half a million books having ben taken out from the central library and the six branches. Fiction represents only a little over half of the total —a rather surprising thing. Mr.“ Barr explains this by saying, “The standard of fiction is kept fairly high and the subscribers are not encouraged to an excessive reading of mediocre stuff. If we made the lending dep .' ment cater for what is known as ‘popn.ar’ taste, we could have the fiction alone up to the halfmillion mark. Instead of that, we make the basis fairly high. “For instance, at one time last year we had six copies of ‘Jew Suss,’ whereas we never have more than three copies of one of the popular thrill-merchants. Our object is to make the library serve the public by improving the standard of reading. We try to draw the line at the ‘tripe’ writers. Proof that the innovation of a music section in the lending department was a good idea is shown by the fact that 2,828 books were circulated in the six mouths it has been open. The highest total ever issued is shown In the returns of the books lent to the schools in Auckland City. The number of volumes was 86,070, compared with 71,746 for 1927. The scheme is approved by the. pupils, teachers and Education Board. HALF A MILLION BOOKS The number of books lent in 1928 was 515,637 as against 483,909 for the previous year. Fiction represented 279,166 volumes (273,023), juvenile fiiction 127,162 • (106,377), general works, including magazines, 70,486 (69,460). The next lines In popularity were. history and biography, 12,218 (11,531), travel 5,215 (5,169), literature and language 6,566 (6,393), music 2,828, philosophy and religion 2,389 (I,SS9), and fine arts 2,151 (2,236). From the central library 156,350 books (143,529) were issued. Remuera came next with 77,342 (75,370), and Grafton 55,379, Epsom 50,714, and Parnell 45,474, were next in that order. “Accommodation was taxed to the utmost in all departments,” sard Mr. Barr, but he refused to suggest how more space might be obtained. Attendances at the reference department and the newspaper room fell oft last year, also because of the good summer. The figures are: Reference, 155,659 (192,563); newspaper room, 242,860. (248,553). Whereas the visitors to the art gallery were fewer, 99,698 as against 101,206, the Old Colonists’ Museum attracted more, 27,527 as against 25,432. This was due to the greater use made of the museum by school children, the collection fulfilling a valuable function in the teaching of | history, civic interest and civic pride.