FRIENDS OF THE TURNBULL LIBRARY ANNUAL REPORT 1972-73

Turnbull Library Record, Volume 6, Issue 2, 1 October 1973, Page 53

FRIENDS OF THE TURNBULL LIBRARY ANNUAL REPORT 1972-73

D. F. McKenzie President

Membership Once again there was an encouraging increase in membership which reached 657 as at 31 March—an increase of 63 over the preceding year.

Meetings Three meetings were held during the year. The Annual General Meeting was held on 4 July. A record attendance of over 100 came to the Shell Theatrette where the National Film Unit’s ‘Alexander Turnbull’s Library’ and the Plantin Moretus Museum’s ‘The making of a Renaissance Book’ were shown at the conclusion of formal business. On 17 May the Rev. David Swain spoke on ‘The papers of Bishop Hobhouse’. Mr Swain, while in England, arranged for the New Zealand papers of Bishop Hobhouse to be transferred to New Zealand. The third meeting was a joint one held with the Society of Bookmen on 17 October. On this occasion Mrs Margaret Scott, Manuscripts Librarian, spoke on ‘Some aspects of the search for Katherine Mansfield’, and described some of her experiences whilst overseas in 1971.

Publications Two numbers of the Record appeared, one in May and one in October. In addition John Cawte Beaglehole: a bibliography was compiled by staff of the Library and published, as a joint tribute by the Friends and the Publications Committee of the Victoria University of Wellington.

Premises In January a large proportion of the Library’s stock was moved from the old Turnbull home in Bowen Street to the new ‘temporary’ premises on the 2nd floor of the former Free Lance building at 44 The Terrace. Staff are enjoying the extra work-space and convenience after many years of overcrowded conditions and the whole Pacific book collection is now in one building and on one floor, but more than half the stock is still at the other end of town. When air-conditioning and security problems are ironed out the services given by the Library to the public should improve. Lessons have been learned which will be useful in the continuing planning of the National Library Building.

Officers The following officers were elected at the Annual General Meeting: President: Prof. D. F. McKenzie Imm. Past President: Canon N. Williams Hon. Secretary: Miss M. Walton Hon. Treasurer: Miss D. Sherratt Committee: Mrs I. Winchester, Messrs J. Berry, D. Glover, L. C. Staff an, C. R. H. Taylor, J. E. Traue and I. McL. Wards. Hon. Editor, Turnbull Library Record: A. G. Bagnall