The Daily News THURSDAY, JULY 2. THE FREE LIBRARY.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LI, Issue 164, 2 July 1908, Page 2

The Daily News THURSDAY, JULY 2. THE FREE LIBRARY.

Tlic opening of the Carnegie Free Public Library in New .Plymouth, the oilicial opening ceremony in connection with which was performed yesterday, marks an epoeli in the progress of the town. New Zoalandcrs, as a mere record of the percentage of newspapers to population shows, are great followers of current events, but in very many eases there; is more than a modicum of trnlli in the allegation that we are not quite us keen assimilators of knowledge from good books. We are persuaded, however, dial (lie latter shortcoming, could it he substantiated, has been more owing to lack of opportunity than inclination. So far as New I'lynioulh is concerned, however, that opportunity is now all'orded. All classes of people in this district are now oll'ered free access to those mines of wealth ol recorded mental ell'ort of mc'i of the present day and (hose who have passed away; the'recorded mental cll'ort by which those long since dead still speak. It is niilv bv means of open ac- ! cess to the bookshelves of a librarv that all clasM's are able to have the benelits and advantages of studying these works. The circulating library' is essential, but the svslcm is one under' which oiilc a I .... limi „f lh iiiniiiiil.v - llm< aclivi.

seeker alter knowledge or mental rci rca-lion-havc beucliled. T1l<! mere fact that the -New Plymouth Library hook- ■ shelves now become the property of (lie people, we are convinced, will stimulate interest in tlu 1 library. Citizens who ■ liiive never entertained a thought of suh-st-ribin- to the lilirary will now realise their personal interest in it. niul patronise it accordingly. The, newspaper free reading-room in the lilirary buildings has ever been the most popular resort in the town, but there has always been a sharp distinction between the patronage of that department and the library upstairs. Viewing the circiinistiinees. wc arc forced to conclude that the entrance fee lias militated against the complete success of the latter department. Although the public will still have to pay a small fee for the privilege of taking books to their homes, the subscription now asked is well within the i means of (lie poorest patron. The ad- ' vantage of the new regime lies ill the , open access afforded to the library, where citizens may now spend a portion of the time that they have hitherto de voted to the newspaper room. Once that stage is reached, we have no fear that the library will be fully utilised, and that the lending department will speedily assume proportions beyond the fondest hopes of the managers. The whole of the nrrangcnienls within the building are up-to-date, and withal comfortable and inviting. The range of books on the shelves is very extensive, and, while popular fiction embraces a prominent proportion, the sounder divisions of literature, embracing biography and history, arts and natural science, pnelrv and the drama, travel and eucy--3 .-lopei'lias. are fully represented. It has been sought to avoid the sharp distinction between 'what has been called light reading and the reading of standard literature, and books have been largely provided which form., as it were, a bridge between the two. A most important section is that possessed by (lie library of New Zealand books, historical works on the Maori and early settlement in New Zealand, many now rare and unprocurable. On the whole, while there is plenlv of room for further improvement and addition, the public has had handed over to it by the New Plymouth Library Committee a library of which it might well be proud to own and to utilise.