U.S. LIBRARY GOES HOME

New Zealand Listener, Volume 17, Issue 425, 15 August 1947, Page 18

U.S. LIBRARY GOES HOME

— But its Books and Films will Remain Here

Information Library in Wel- ‘* ington officially opened its doors to the public in 1944, it ‘became a gathering place for New Zealanders searching for news about America. And its shelves gave soon as the United States them an uncomfortable feeling that their knowledge of America was absurdly inadequate. That was part of the idea. Since then every department on the library’s four floors, in Woodward Street, has been open to ‘Government departments, the Press, professors, teachers and students-to anyone wanting to find out something about the United States and willing to go and ask for it. Last week the Library closed down, the United States Congress having cut down the appropriations for such work. New Zealand is not the only country to lose its U.S. library. Similar institutions in Australia, South Africa, Portugal, Malaya, the Dominican Republic and Honduras have been or are being closed; in some other countries the service has been curtailed. The thousands of people who have used the Wellington library will naturally be anxious to know what is to become of the collection. It will not be returned to the States, but will remain here. Th= films and film-strips are to be handed to the National Film Library for custody and use, and the books and other literary material will be placed on loan in the custody of the National Library Service. Although the library was under the direction of the United States Legation, several New Zealanders were attached to the staff, working with the American professional librarians. Their term of office ended officially on July 31, but in the comparatively short time they have been associated with the service they have learned much about American methods of handling books and American reference systems. Something About Everything The library’s primary purpose has been. to offer reference facilities, but books and magazines could be borrowed for week-ends. In this way some of the work of the reference staff was lessened, because inquirers, by taking away a book

or pamphlet? were able to sift out information for themselves. Membership of the library inter-loan system made it possible for people all over New Zealand to obtain reference material on practically any subject, from how to judge a flower show to the latest methods of electric accounting. In its three years the library built up a collection of 64,000 items, including works of reference, and about 30,000 pamphlets not yet put up in book form. Of these pamphlets the most sought after were those'‘on soil erosion and conservation, hydro-electricity and housing. There was also a steady demand for works on music and the other arts in America; social questions, industrial management and industrial psychology also came in for much attention. Comparisons for Specialists Through such works New Zealand experts in special subjects were able to find out how their opposite numbers in

the United States dealt with them. Answers were given to about 21,000 reference questions; and some of these took a considerable amount of looking out. One occupied a reference expert two whole days. / Apologising for keeping a _ certain pamphlet for an unusually long time, a borrower explained that he had sent it round the country to agriculturists; he probably saved the reference department some work, for farmers and others reading the book would find in it answers to some of their problems. ‘From the shelves in the library people took home 42,000 items and under the inter-library loan plan, 159 places outside Wellington were served with information. First Film Show in the Chathams The Film and Publications service attached to the library, under the care of a New Zealand supervisor and staff, was

responsible for screening an average of 1000 films a month to an average monthly audience of 70,000. One of its films was the first ever to be shown in the Chatham Islands. Films went as far north as Awanui and as far south as Bluff. Film strips were sent to schools and universities, and photographic displays went to other libraries.. Maps and geographical publications were sought by many prospective travellers and the service also set up pen friendships between New Zealand and American children. One school in the United States even wrote to the library for samples of New Zealand earth. They were gathered up and sent. "Doctors made much use of the service, constantly asking for newsletters on the latest developments in medicine and. surgery in America. Films on these subjects were sent to other centres and towns for screening before branches of the B.M.A., and also to the Otago Medical School. Almost daily, children from Wellington schools invaded the library, selected their books and sat on the stairs to read. A favourite book with New Zealand children. was Rural America, which gave a picture of family life in the agricultural states. One of the out-

standing exhibits, "Houses: U.S.A.-1607-1946"-a collection of photographs and texts-was lent to the Wellington Public Library for display. ' Regret that is genuine and widely felt has been expressed at the closing down of the library, for there are many people who have only recently learned about its existence. Mary Parsons who, in addition to being director of the library is a director of the New Zealand Library School, will stay here for a little while as the school is in the middle of its academic year. Here is what the Hon. K. S. Patton, then American Minister in New Zealand, said at the opening of the library: "From these books you will learn to know America as we Americans know her-her frailties as well as her strength; her successes and her failures; her hopes, her aspirations and her disappointments; her efforts in the fields of art, science and government-in brief, an intimate, real America without her face lifted and without make-up." Users of the U.S. Information Library will agree that the Minister did not speak

idly.

E.R.

B.