LIBRARY POLICY

Wairarapa Times-Age, 27 August 1940, Page 6

LIBRARY POLICY

(To the Editor.) Sir.—The 12 per cent non-fiction proportion in our library seems to suggest a minority after self-improvement, possibly along the intricate paths of philosophy and its sturdy branch subject, psychology. It is to the credit of our Borough Library Committee that many modern works on principles of thought grace the shelves, but those books are apt to infer a previous acquaintance with certain older key volumes by people like MacDonald. Freud and the classic philosophers of former times. Those folk who missed university courses may not derive much practical benefit from our very widely representative shelves of non-fiction unless the council takes the logical step and makes the request service available to all capable of reading themselves into wider usefullness to the community.

I have an axe to grind: my hobby is a study of transport problems and since both mail and money finds our Dominion a most difficult place to leave one’s shillings cannot now secure overseas technical periodicals; the library comes to mean more. Perhaps men in other lines are similarly restricted?

We know the library costs more than 7s 6d per subscriber per annum, so one hesitates to demand expensive additions: but is this new service practically free? If so. go ahead. I want the fiction reader to enjoy equally good service and a "shocker" club should provide him, or her. with an inexpensive extension of our present good coverage. The subscribers should appreciate the interest displayed in your editorial column last week. Thank you. —I am, etc, R.J.C. Masterton. August 26.