BOROUGH LIBRARY

Wairarapa Times-Age, 21 August 1940, Page 5

BOROUGH LIBRARY

REPORTS TO THE COUNCIL

FOR AND AGAINST FREE SERVICE. SPECIAL MEETING TO BE CALLED LATER. “Every factor that we examined at the Palmerston North and Pahiatua libraries was whole-heartedly in favour of the free library system being installed in Masterton. There is no reason why anyone should be ashamed of getting a free book, in fact they should be proud of doing so.” These observations were made by Councillor G. W. Morice in presenting the case for the establishment of a free library service in place of the present subscription system adopted in the Municipal Library, at a meeting of the Borough Council last night. A recommendation was before the council, from the Library Committee, that the matter be deferred for the present.

“There are many reasons for the committee's decision,” stated the chairman of the Library committee, Councillor W. Kemp, The chief of them, he said, was the expense involved, apart from the room required. There were many difficulties in the way. A commercial book club ( would be run. in the same building as the free library. The present library was fast becoming popular, and the number of new subscribers was still going up. The committee did not wish to act as compulsory educators, but the standard of books issued was reaching, a far higher class. "In the novel section we are more up-to-date than the commercial book clubs.” Councillor Kemp added. "It would be robbing the library to make a commercial book club, and it would be very undesirable to have the two classes of books at the one table.”

Councillor A. D. Low: “I take back all that I have said about the management of the library on previous occasions. The conduct of the library is now very satisfactory.” Councillor Morice: “I wish to entirely dissociate myself from the committee’s recommendation. Citizens will be getting a better class of book under the free system. We will receive 375 new books of fiction every four months, or about 90 a month. We have 225 new subscribers with cur subscription method, while Palmerston North, with a greater population, of course, has upwards of 7000 new subscribers under the free system. Pahiatua has an increase of several hundred per cent. There is no such thing as a free library. It is a matter of the method of paying for it. Through taxation we arc paying for the books in the library service. I contend that it can be proved beyond dispute that the free country service can give a better service to the community than the subscription library. Unfortunately it has been necessary in this young country, owing io lack of finance, to continue the subscription system, but in America and England the system .of subscription is unheard of. We are behind the times in that respect. Readers of fiction should be catered for by the pay collection section. The ’luxury reader.’ who insists on new books, should pay for them, but not out of the rates. In Palmerston North, under the free system, the cost per capita works out at Ils. compared with 38s under the old system. In a small place like this we can never establish a library of non-fiction books." It was decided to call a special meeting of the council at a later date to consider the matter in detail.