The Taihape Daily Times. AND WAIMARINO ADVOCATE TUESDAY, APRIL 13, 1920. THE PUBLIC LIBRARY.

Taihape Daily Times, Volume XI, Issue 3459, 13 April 1920, Page 4

The Taihape Daily Times. AND WAIMARINO ADVOCATE

TUESDAY, APRIL 13, 1920. THE PUBLIC LIBRARY.

With which is incorporated “The Taihape Post and Waimarino News.” b

About a year ago the ’l‘-aihaple Borough Council placed its languishing library under the management of a committee selected from citizens most interested in its upkeep and progressThe Council voted the munificent sum 1 of ten pounds to furnish capital for its new creation to work upon; small -and iinsignificant as the sum voted was [alongside the rising prices of books, ' the Committee went to work, and, with I the aid of £25 J.f7/ paid by subscribers to the library, they have been able to ‘show in their first -statement of acicounts an unexpectedly good; year’s‘ 1 work. But what a. mean expenditure on a public library which should serve i a community numbering several ‘ thousands of people. "The old AssyIrians four thousands years ago, or rhereabouts, paid as much, __comparag tively, for one of their bricks or tiles, of which their large and magnificent libraries were composed, for there was no paper in those days. The influence on the ages of great thoughts and of }great men would have been lost with- , out books and libraries; greatest civilisations ‘have been peculiarly noted as possessing the most extensive and valuable libraries. The books the people of any era read ‘is an unerring index to the record of progress that era will leave in the annals of its existence, and we have only to consult, the shelves of our local library for an indication of the intellectuality and love of learning? in this great district which ‘we are now only laying the foundaltions of. What we mean is that instead of some three or four-dozen subiscribers to a local Municipal library, there should, as a minimum, be over ? two hundred. But as the Statement of Accounts shows that the total value of books is only about twenty pounds, the library great; lack is inducement for reading and for‘s't’udious people to become members. The Library Conrgmitteo cannot very well help feeling ' its unenviable position, for unless the lßol‘ougll,ol‘ seine well-to-do citizen l comes to their rescue, there can be no increase of books without new members, and no new members.without an increase of books. It. is questionable I whether, as a‘community, we take the lcausc of education seriously. We say ‘again that the great notable civilisations of history havclalmost uniformly possessed the most famous libraries of history. Those old civilisations have [dernonstrated down the -thousands of [years that education does not really begin until youthful studies to furnish a base for education are completed.‘ Advancement in everything for good ' is most prolific in localities where the minds of the great men of the past are available for use in conjunction with present-day intellect. Hence it is that lmen and women interested in the ‘ larger questions of life and progress in this district do not look for assistance in the Municipal library. Science, polcmics, economics, history, mechanics, have no place -on the library shelves, therefore there is nothing to] attract and assist those readers it is most. desirable in the best interests of‘ this Dominion, whose names should appear in the list of membership. It isi essential that ma.n’s physical natural should be developed by exercise, by pastimes, and sports, let us not forget in our enthusiasm for physical culture. ‘that. it is equally essential to cultivate the human mental faculty. Men. in New Zealand ivlm write. for publication‘, on those great questidns that are" new convulsing the World, invariably seek the

surroundings of a gl'cat,fc.onlpl'cllensive library or :book’ emporium. Changes in society, mechanic and organic, are not understandable to the being with only a public school education, but those young people with a bent for learning‘ the inner mysteries of -that great power operating in -the development. of the‘ life and mind of a people are chiefly found where they have the assistance‘ of a. library in which the greatest thoughts of the greatest men of all -ages are stored for them to refer to for help and inspiration. It is there they acquire a nobler estimate of high. vocation; it is there the destiny of the individual and the race is largely shaped, Oftimés the public library is the forerunner of a centre of‘ learning. It. has been said that “the cause of education is the cause of liberty.” would that education at the present moment had been of a higher quality and deeper nature, for then men and women could' not have been swayed hither and thither by dcxnagogic i.rrationalism, by flimsy logic, and spurious patriotism. The State provides an elementary education for its children, but whatever books are required for acquiring the highest, noblest, progressive results from primary education must be provided. by the people themselves. We desire to impress upon our readers the fact, they will not deny, that the public library is as essential to an intelligent community as the public recreation ground. Being confronted with so important a fact men and local bodies should be as ready to’ support and encourage one as much as the other. As the intellectuality of a people in any centre of population is not'infrcquen~’rly measured by the nature and comprehensiveness of their public library, let. us commend the local library to the generosity -and mercy of those people who are able to help in‘ ‘making it what it should be, and equip it for full performance of its legitimate functions. No town can boast of a better, Inore imposing, admirable decoration tll'a'r'l that of a. flourishing public. library.