OLD BOOKS FOR THE CAUSE

New Zealand Listener, Volume 6, Issue 153, 29 May 1942, Page 9

OLD BOOKS FOR THE CAUSE

Go Over Your Shelves, Listeners

ENTLE listener-for the purpose of this appeal you must be "gentle" -- have you any old books on your shelves that are worth something? If you have, what about giving some of them to be auctioned for the Patriotic Funds? You have been set the best possible example, for Winston Churchill has sent to our Prime Minister a very valuable volume by an ancestor of his, bearing the Winston signature, and Mr. Fraser has added his autograph, and the book is to be put up for auction for the great cause. There will be some spirited bidding for this book. But it is not going to the auction room alone. The whole of New Zealand is being combed for valuable books to keep it company. There is a central committee in Wellington, and committees in the various centres, and they are roping in book collectors and owners to

give to the movement. Already the flow of gifts has begun, An old book is not necessarily a valuable book, though many people think it is. The value of an old book depends on its rarity or its associations, A PrayerBook printed a hundred years ago isn’t worth much in the auction room, but such a Prayer-Book owned and inscribed by Selwyn would be. There are numbers of old books relating to New Zealand that command good prices at sales. Collectors are always looking out for them. This is one kind of book that the organisers of this auction ask for. So go through your shelves and see what you have and what you can spare. You may have valuable books without knowing it. If you are in doubt ring up or write to the nearest librarian and ask his advice. But a book need not be old to be valuable. There are numbers of limited Aes editions of comparatively recent books that are valuable. Or a book may be of little value by itself, but be given a considerable value by its associations. ‘Someone might even’ bid for a Marie Corelli if it had been autographed by a Prime Minister. A copy of The Unspeakable Scot owned and annotated by ‘J. M. Barrie might be worth quite a lot. Then there are letters. You may have letters somewhere in the family from famous or notorious persons. Perhaps you have wondered what to do with them. Well, the organisers will be glad to have a look at them. And old pictures and prints of exceptional historical or artistic interest; they’ are also wanted, and perhaps your grandfather saw a good deal of the Maoris in the old days and acquired some really first-class weapons or other articles. These will also be welcome. The libraries will receive your gifts, and, as we have said, help you with advice. Or you can communicate direct with the honorary organising secretary, P. A. Lawlor, P.O. Box 965, Wellington.