WHAT PEOPLE READ.

Taranaki Daily News, 25 January 1922, Page 6

WHAT PEOPLE READ.

PREFERENCE FOR FICTION.

NEW PLYMOUTH LIBRARY.

REVIEW OF ITS PROGRESS. The New Plymouth Carnegie Institute, comprising the library and museum, is commanding increased public attention both from residents and from visitors to the town. A Daily News reporter yesterday had a chat with the librarian and gleaned some interesting facts. The number of subscriptions paid during 19*20 was in the .vicinity of GOO, but during 1921 this rose to about SOO. It must be remembered that all of these are not continuous subscriptions, for many people join for the winter months. There are two main reasons given by those who prefer this limited period of membership—one being that country subscribers (of which the New Plymouth Library has a goodly proportion) are too busy in the summer months, and the other that town subscribers feel the call of the open air too strongly to sit indoors and read. Notwithstanding this, it can safely be said that there is a large constant reading public in New Plymouth. Dflring the year 1921 over one thousand books were added to the library, the majoritj T of these being wortcs of fiction. As to the most popular authors, tastes vary, but speaking generally, it can be said, that lady subscribers show a preference for the books of Ruby Ayres, R. W. Chambers, Ethel M. Dell, Maud Diver, Gertrude Page, Grace Richmond, E. Oppenheim, Mary R. Rinehart, B<rta Ruck, Marie. Oemler, Gene Strat-ton-Porter, C. N. and A. M. Williamson, Harold Bell Wright, and F. E. Mills Young. The favorites with men subscribers seem to be Jeffrey Farnol, Peter B. Kyne, Joseph Lincoln, Jackson Gregory, Zane Grey, Sewell Ford, E. R. Burroughs, Herbert Jenkins, lan Hay, Rafael Sabatini, Randell Parrish, J. O. Cur wood, H. de Vere Stacpoole, H. A. Vachell, and P. G. Wodehouse. NINETY PER CENT. FICTION. Of old-time favorites William J. Locke still maintains his pre-eminence as probably the most popular writer, closely followed by Rider Haggard, Conan Doyle, O. Henry, Joseph Hocking, Rudyard Kipling, Jack London, and Stephen Leacock, but the demand for such writers as Maurice Hewlett, Robert Hichens, Hall Caine, Marie Corelli, H. G. Wells, Baroness Orczy, Staney Weyman, and W. W. Jacobs has considerably lessened of recent years. Of standard writers R. L. Stevenson seems to be the most read, and there is a lesser vogue for Sir Walter Scott, George Eliot, Charles Dickens, and Mark Twain. The works of Babzac, Dumas, Thackeray and others seldom leave the shelves.

As is common with other centres the subscribers at New Piymoutn read mainly fiction, over 90 per cent, of the books taken out coming under this heading. For those who like more serious reading than the ephemeral novel of the .day there is a fine selection of works of biography, travel, history, science, and war literature, as well as poetry, drama, and essays. The children’s library contains several hundred well-selectea books and is a perenniel source of Interest to the young folk. Visitors from Auckland, Wellington, and other centres who walk through the New Plymouth library invariably refer to the well-kept appearance of the books. This is due to constant attention by the staff, any book showing signs of wear or loose leaves being placed in the “book-hospital” for the necessary treatment. One day a week is repairing day and the'results are so manifest that the New Plymouth library need fear no comparison with any other similar institution as to the neatness and tidiness of the contents of its shelves.

THE READING ROOMS. During the summer quite a large percentage of visitors patronise the reading and magazine rooms and a mtonber take out visitors’ subscriptions to the circulating library. Townspeople make use of the reading rooms very largely all the year round and there is a good diversity of reading matter to attract and interest all classes of readers. The large reading room downstairs has about 70 newspapers and journals and is well patronised. The reading room upstairs also attracts a fair number of patrons, there being 40 magazines to ‘browse amongst. These are set out on three tables, one table containing fiction magazines, one serious magazines, while the third one is devoted exclusively to publications for women. The reference library possesses the nucleus of a useful collection and is receiving increased attention from those following educational pursuits or in search of knowledge either scientific or general. Therd is also the foundation of a fine collectiofi of works relating to New Zealand and Maori topics.

The early colonists’ museum is not yet open for exhibition, but will eventually serve a valuable purpose in preserving many relics of bygone days and past events in the history of Taranaki. A start has been made in arranging the material available and it is hoped to open the room to the public shortly. The museum is attracting increased public notice and once the numbering of the exhibits is complete a forward moveent can be inaugurated to carry out its aims to a greater degree than heretofore. Lt is intended to place cards on the more prominent exhibits and throughout the cases, and this will enhance the educative value of the museum to a great extent, especially to the school children who form such a large proportion of the steady stream of visitors that flows through the building throughout the year.