THE CARNEGIE LIBRARY.

Taranaki Daily News, 18 August 1920, Page 5

THE CARNEGIE LIBRARY.

mayoress opens new room. The new reference room at the New Plymouth Carnegie Library was formally opened by the Mayoress (Mrs. ,T. Clarke) yesterday afternoon, about :!0 ladies being present at the ceremony, The room, which is very comfortably furnished, contains a tabie with books and journals specially reserved for the use of ladies. Otherwise it is free to the public, and will no doubt be a boon to country ladies requiring a quiet rest, and. should fill a long felt need in this respect. It should also prove of great interest to students, as it contains many of the latest and best work on many subjects. An Old Colonists' Room adjoining is also being lifted up with pictures of very early scones and events of New Plymouth, and a number of interesting relics of past, history arc to bn included in the appointments of the room. i

In declaring the room open to the public, Mrs. Clarke said it gave her great pleasure to perform the ceremony. "You will remember." she added, "that last | March we held a mart in order to raise , money to get up a room to be used as | a reference library, and a comfortable i magazine room, a table in which was to be devoted to magazines for ladies. Before this a siftall room had been used downstairs, which was not at all suitable for the purpose. A part of the money was also to bo used toward the construction of ni children's library, which should become quite popular with the young folk. AVe are fortunaTe in having a public library, but, like all other public places, the upkeep is great, especially in these days wljsn books; etc., are so highly priced. For this reason I am sorry that the amount raised was not mora than £l7O. But I hope now that a start has been made that the movement will be. advanced, because there is a great scope for stich a movement in a town of this size. I think this room will appeal to country folk as a place where they can spend an hour to rest and read. I will now declare this room formally opened, and hope that H will prove a great asset to those using the library."