Report of the National Library Service for the Year Ended 31 March 1958 | Page 5

Accordingly, the
"Minimum Standards for Public Libraries Participating in the Country
Library Service" was approved by the Minister of Education on 22
April 1958 and issued formally.
The document emphasises that it gives standards for minimum
provision, and that local authorities aiming to give good service will

not be satisfied until they are exceeded. That they are exceeded in
several centres is a matter for congratulation, and the local authorities
concerned have reason to be proud of their libraries, and are in every
case anxious to maintain their good record.
SMALL INDEPENDENT SUBSCRIPTION LIBRARIES: "B"
SERVICE
During the year, 832 of these libraries were linked with this Service,
compared with 801 for the previous year. Of these libraries, 253 are
served from Hamilton, 191 from Palmerston North, and 388 from
Christchurch.
Altogether 75,997 books were on loan to the 832 libraries, an average
of over 91 books per library. Over the past 10 years the average for
each library has increased from 79 books, or 15 per cent, thus
demonstrating the increasing interest that country readers are taking in
the type of books supplied by this Service. The figures shown as basic
issues do not include the thousands of books loaned to these libraries
on short term through the "request service".
"C" OR HAMPER SERVICE
In places where no library exists and where it is not possible for one to
be formed and visited by a book van, a service to properly established
groups by means of hampers is provided. During the year 45 of these
groups received service, there being 3,325 books on regular loan to
them. The hamper service is also extended to six places in the Chatham
Islands and to Pitcairn Island.
LIGHTHOUSE SERVICE
The postal service has been continued to lighthouse keepers, fire
lookouts in State Forests, and a few very remote readers in coastal
islands. During the year a total of 1,851 books was issued, mostly by a
hamper service.
FREE SERVICE TO MINISTRY OF WORKS, STATE

HYDRO-ELECTRIC, AND NEW ZEALAND FOREST SERVICE
CAMPS AND STATIONS
During the year 54 camps or stations received visits from the book van,
in addition to one receiving hamper service from the Christchurch
office. Altogether 7,691 books are on loan to such places.
HOSPITAL AND INSTITUTIONAL SERVICE
Visits have continued from the book vans to 12 general hospitals with
an exchange of 1,405 books. Twelve mental hospitals received 3,910
books and 13 prisons 3,125 books. During the year assistance has been
given to the Department of Justice in book and periodical selection.
Difficulties occur from time to time in connection with the service to
prisons and mental hospitals. They arise from the lack of supervision of
these libraries by trained library staff. Officers engaged in other duties
are not in a position to organise the full service which would be of such
benefit to patients and prisoners.
From the special TB collection 1,620 books were exchanged at
four-monthly intervals for 15 sanatoria and tuberculosis wards of
public hospitals. Three hundred and thirteen books were sent on request
(250 non-fiction and 63 fiction). Sixty-four requests could not be
fulfilled as the required books were not available through the stock or
through purchase, and the resources of other collections are not used
for these borrowers.
LOAN COLLECTIONS
Collections of books, pamphlets, and periodicals to illustrate particular
subjects are available for short periods not only to affiliated libraries
but also to university and the larger public libraries.
USE OF LOAN COLLECTIONS
Year ended 31 March 1957 1958

Number of collections sent 628 640 Number of books included 26,667
26,645
PERIODICALS SERVICE
A total of 1,127 titles is now taken by the Wellington office, of which
821 copies are circulated regularly to Government Department libraries.
Four hundred and eighty copies are sent direct from the publishers to
the Country Library Service offices in Hamilton, Palmerston North,
and Christchurch, and are sent out regularly to 93 affiliated libraries. In
addition, the periodicals held in Wellington are available on short-term
loan to public and other libraries which are interested in them.

SECTION II--SCHOOL LIBRARY SERVICE
In 1941 the Minister of Education approved the establishment of a New
Zealand School Library Service, the purchasing of books to be financed
from the augmented item "School and Class Libraries" in the vote
"Education", the administration being undertaken by the Country
Library Service, as it then was. This new service was to provide not
school text books, but a wide and varied choice of books of high
imaginative quality or technical excellence, suitable for children at all
levels of ability and stages of development. The smaller and more
remote country schools were to be given priority. Books were to be
freely available for reading at home.
The provision of supplies of books which circulate among schools goes
some way towards setting