THE OTAKI LIBRARY.

Manawatu Times, Volume III, Issue 11, 7 December 1878, Page 2

THE OTAKI LIBRARY.

TO THB . respondent, while enumerating the good, things he hsd rloqp for Ofctki, mentipned^ that he had helped to gire new »n<i more Übera) ri^lea^ to, th.c Library;had not then 'seen the new rules ; butT nqvc that the j are. actually confirmed, at a general uxeetin^ of the members, X ; ' waj be allowed to 'express my opinion about the m, which is b/uiifclyj-tbat the/ ire neither liberal nor an hnjiroTemei^ on the old ones. 3ie very ffrst rule oJt^ 6l^d&/s i^rery eiceui x^i.s^it|

from the Library. Is this liberal?— or is the fact that no one ig allowed to see what the Library is like, calculated to Attract many new members? No stranger may visit our Library; no member may take a friend m with him ; no intending member can gain an idea (except through the window) of what; the room is like. The rule it inexorable— " None but members to be admitted.' •This seems a strange sort of liberality. It is also supposed that; the terms of subscription hare been made more liberal. As a working man I beg to doubt that. Formerly members paid fine shilling per month, and new memjbers—as a slight equivalent for the advantage of being able at mice to choose from 600 vols.— paid an ejitrance fee of £s 6d. Now the terms, aret-for three snonths, 3«<6d; six months, 6s ; twelve jpaonths, 10g. "All subscriptions to be paid m advance.^ Now, wj»the». purposely or not, this nde is. framed to jease the r^eh and burden the poor man. 3?hose ?who can afford to pay 10s down get two months' readiig free every year, whereas those who cannot afford'to -pay for more tban three ov six months have jto pay the usual salting a month. I jagain, from my point, of view, fail to see the liberality. Formerly members, though m «rrears, :cottld draw books for thretf months ; flow the supply of pooks is to be stopped at once when the period ends for wh^ch he has paid. Formerly members might retain a book * month, now they are restricted to Wgteeii days. Formerly strangers dellh£ a few days ix\ the place, could reams many books from the Library, its they required, by simply depositing the value of the books taken out, to be returned on the return of the books. Now np such courtesy can be extended o strangers, as jihe rule was cut out. Focmfriy papers and pamphlets could »c taken out— after lying i week m the ■eadingrroom— in the; s^me way as KX>ks. Now. this cannot b.e allowed, as the rule to {hat e#ect has al?o heen (excised. To some persons all these nay ]^c signs pf libejrality and improvement, Imt to me %y appear the very pppositp. 1^ may be asked, why did the member^ conarm the new rules? The fact is, c^ily two more were present at the general meeting besides die framers. of the new rules ; and though tho^e two prqtested' agaifltt all that! have pointed WV th^^^^ft^two seyen pr eig^t. There was evidently a 4eep ? rooted tha^t t^e new rules werp perfect, that to alter one of them, or add on^i; to their number, would reject iipbn the\ wisdom of the fra.mers. I trust fkfr mix have a better effect ihtp\ can naturally h^ anticipated from fh^^anvA^ v " * „: A Pd'gji WomiKG Man.