NEW PLYMOUTH PUBLIC LIBRARY.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume L, Issue 321, 21 January 1908, Page 3

NEW PLYMOUTH PUBLIC LIBRARY.

About a dozen subscriber- attended the annual meeting of the New Plymouth Library last night. Hi* Worship the Mayor presided. The committee's annual report recorded satisfactory patronage, the amount received from subscriptions for the \ear being €ll7 ltis !>d. The number of subscribers was —\early I- < • half-yearlj <3, quarterly 3»: a total of 239. The committee began the year with a credit balance of £27 7s Bd, against which there were outstanding liabilities ol about £29. There was now a credit | balance of £ls IDs 2d. against which there vrere outstanding liabilities of about an equal amount. The whole < f the receipts were spent in new books, periodicals, and general upkeep, it having been the aim of the committee for several years past as far as possible to the whole of the available income in providing additional books and additions to the library. There was now cm the shelves 6495 volumes, of which 344 were added during the year. The number of Iwoks taken out during the year was as follow: Fiction Ki.WMi. geography and travel 188 H, history and biography 137, mwK'dlaneous o<s; a total of lti,42S. Messrs. Kelsev. Skinner, White. i«nd Browne had acted as a selection committee for books. The new library building being erected out of the C 2500 grant from Mr. Andrew Carnegie was Hearing completion. The report made complimentary reference to the services of Jfise Free (librarian) and Mr. Drewitt (custodian).

In discu-sing the report, unfavorable reference was'mad- to the manner m whieh the library was *oinethm>- treat'd bv it- buying agent-, and it wan stated tiwi Mr. W. 11. Skinner., a member of the committee, would »»nde;ivor to make better arrangement- during hi- visit to Kngland. Mention was also made of the fact that the committee had not acted ; to anv great extent upon the entries ; n rhe ••suggestion-book."'

In answer tn Mr. Knroth. tin l Hiair•iiiin *ai<l it had already lioen derided " n set a-ide a ehes-i room in the new library building.

The report was adopted.

I'pon the motion of the chairman and Mr. Kwiiv. the of the -üb-i librr- wen' re-eb i ted to the commit te-' naniely. W. 11. Skinner. T. «». Kel-i*v. !\ White, and K. lline.

Mr. Kiviiij: ,„ilt.v i-n.b'.ivor to buy from mI l,..nk>.'ller*.

Mr. Whitu -aid 1 Uat prr-uiially ae bHi»ned 'II »h;H Wilt •> committeeman lie had l»mid i J P : * l«'tt«*r to, import lr«»m l*ai;:land.

I'imiii tin- motion <>f Mr. K«n»'.'. Himvi'tiii'4 tnuniniou-ly e\pre--nl it- apof the and ahiliiy oi the librarian.