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 free the money for library books, available to schools by way of annual capitation grant and from local contribution, which is eligible for subsidy. These funds may then be used to build at each school (a) a collection of such basic reference books as are needed always at hand; (b) reading material for the preparatory classes; (c) books of purely local interest; (d) other books which it is desired to have permanently.
By cooperation between the Education Board and the Dunedin City Council considerable progress had been made in service to schools in Otago since 1938. Vigorous exploitation of a book stock selected in terms of children's interests followed the most enlightened overseas practice, linking skilfully the activities of home, school, and public library, as well as introducing to this country books not previously known here.
Beginning in Canterbury in March 1942 by incorporating the Travelling Library for Rural Schools, the School Library Service has developed until, today, exchanges of books are sent to 2,490 schools with a total roll (excluding primers) of 298,317. These figures do not include those for post-primary schools, which make use of the information and request service only.
Services available to schools and to the smaller public libraries can be broadly defined as general exchanges of books, information and request service, provision of book lists, and advice on library planning.
General exchanges of books, changed regularly, are sent to all primary, intermediate, and district high schools and the primary departments of registered private schools which join the service, for the use of pupils in Standard 1 and upwards. These books are intended mainly for recreational reading, both at home and at school. The number sent in each exchange is based on the school roll, exclusive of primer classes, on a scale of not fewer than one per child, while for small schools it is usually possible to increase this to two or three books per child. Exchanges are made at least once a year, with further exchanges during the year for smaller schools to the extent that books and staff make possible. Where satisfactory arrangements for storage and adequate use can be made, exchanges of suitable books are also sent to the smaller public libraries which provide free service in their children's and young adults' sections. The number of books sent is based on the population of the area controlled by the local authority. Post-primary schools depending, as they do, mainly on their own libraries, do not receive exchanges of books but participate with the other schools in the information and request and other services available. The post-primary departments of district high schools are eligible for all services, including exchanges.
The information and request service, available to all schools which have joined the service, supplies to both children and teachers, on short-term loan, books and other material to meet individual needs not satisfied by the general exchanges. The particular aim is to meet requests for children's books and books for school purposes. Schools have been urged to make the fullest use of this service which helps to ensure that the right book reaches the child who needs it, for classroom activity or any other worth-while purpose. Material for the personal or study needs of teachers cannot usually be supplied by the School Library Service; such requests can, however, be handed to the nearest public library or "B" library group linked with the Country Library Service. When schools are establishing new libraries extra help by way of special collections or indefinite loans is given. All public libraries and groups receiving library service from the Country Library Service may use the information and request service. During the year 328,482 books were sent out in response to requests.
The preparation of book lists, which have proved of value to schools and public libraries has been continued this year. The supplements to Junior Fiction and Non-Fiction for Primary Schools are annotated lists of the better, recently published children's books, other than those appearing in countries with which there are currency difficulties; these supplements are distributed twice a year to schools and public libraries which ask to be placed on a mailing list. "For the Post-primary Library", a series of annotated lists of current titles, has been appearing regularly in the Education Gazette since 16 July 1951. Public libraries and larger post-primary schools will find further suggestions in the cyclostyled series "Books for Young Adults" which appears at intervals; it includes books for recreational reading and gives special consideration to suitable adult titles. Other lists are prepared for publication as the need arises. A bibliography of material published by the Service from its inception in 1942 appeared in the annual report for the year ended 31 March 1956. Since that date the following items have been added:
Books for young adults: List 5, October 1956; List 6, June 1957; List 7, November 1957.
Books for young people, 1957.
Interim list of subject headings for New Zealand school libraries, o.p.
Junior fiction.
Supplements: April 1956 to September 1956; October 1956 to March 1957; April 1957 to September 1957.
Non-fiction for primary schools. (Supplements have title, Junior Non-fiction.)
Supplements: April 1956 to September 1956; October 1956 to March 1957; April 1957 to September 1957.
Quick-reference books for high-school libraries, 1956.
Sets of books for French classes, August 1956.
In addition to this published material, buying and reading lists are constantly being prepared to meet the special needs of individual schools, public libraries, and groups concerned with the reading of children and adolescents.
Assistance is given to schools planning new libraries or reorganising existing libraries. The visiting of schools to give help where needed and to discuss the use of books is still limited by staff shortages.
Except for small parcels which are sent by post, books are distributed in hampers or cartons by rail or road transport from 15 centres—North Island: Whangarei and Hastings public libraries; offices of the Country Library Service in Hamilton and Palmerston North and of the School Library Service in Auckland, Napier, New Plymouth, Wanganui, and Wellington. South Island: Greymouth, Timaru, Dunedin, and Invercargill public libraries; the office of the Country Library Service in Christchurch and of the School Library Service in Nelson. Schools are usually served by the nearest School Library Service office.
The headquarters office at Wellington is responsible for the coordination of the service, for the selection, ordering, classifying, and cataloguing of new books and their dispatch to district offices, the maintenance of a comprehensive collection of children's and young people's books used to meet requests which cannot be supplied from local offices, and the distribution of books to schools and public libraries in or near Wellington city and the Hutt Valley. To enable children at smaller country schools to see and to choose for themselves from a wide range of books, the possibilities of service by book van are being considered.
Since its establishment schools joining the service have paid a subscription at the rate of 1s. per pupil (Standard 1 and upwards) for each of the first two years. Ministerial authority was given during the year to discontinue this levy.
Schools borrowing books are asked to accept responsibility for (a) safe-keeping of books while on loan to the school, including books issued to members of staff for school use; (b) return of books when due; (c) payment for books lost or damaged beyond fair wear and tear; (d) payment of freight and postal charges from school to School Library Service office.
Books are made available to special institutions controlled by the Education Department. Primary pupils of the Correspondence School are provided with individual postal service from district offices. Child welfare institutions, training centres, health camps, and other special groups are given service according to their needs. Teachers' training colleges, young people's groups, kindergartens, and nursery play centre supervisors are also helped. Visits to School Library Service offices by teachers in training are arranged wherever possible.
Assistance to several Pacific Island schools has been continued from the Auckland office by means of extended loans. Under this system the schools receive an original bulk loan which they check annually, reporting losses and returning damaged and worn books for replacement, wherever possible, by new titles, so that loans will not degenerate into collections of old books. The schools concerned were listed in last year's annual report. The desirability of extension of this service is constantly in review.
During the year members of the staff acted as librarians at the usual teachers' refresher courses. Appropriate collections of books always create considerable interest. Discussions at these courses have been helpful in the selection of books and have brought about an increased awareness of the uses of books in a wide range of schools.
Below are tables showing details of the School Library Service as at 31 March 1958. The figures for the number of "schools" and "pupils" include those for primary schools and post-primary departments of district high schools but do not include those for other post-primary schools as these do not receive general exchanges of books. (Figures in parentheses are for the previous year.)
| Schools Receiving Exchanges | Pupils (Standard 1 and upwards) | |||
| Education Board schools | 2,004 | (1,973) | 252,469 | (241,148) |
| Departmental schools and institutions | 211 | (216) | 13,996 | (14,270) |
| Private schools | 275 | (260) | 31,852 | (28,175) |
| Totals | 2,490 | (2,449) | 298,317 | (283,593) |
| Year Ended 31 March | ||
| Books Supplied | 1958 | 1957 |
| In exchanges to— | ||
| All schools, Standard 1 to Form II | 676,637 | 648,816 |
| District high schools, Form III to Form VI | 34,452 | 32,439 |
| Public libraries, children's departments | 34,639 | 30,926 |
| Public libraries, young people's sections | 22,724 | 22,307 |
| Total for exchanges | 768,452 | 734,488 |
| On request and in loan collections, including indefinite loans— | ||
| Primary | 263,374 | 244,175 |
| Post-primary | 72,956 | 78,358 |
| Totals | 1,104,782 | 1,057,021 |
Book Stock—Additions to stock were 70,228 fiction and 48,789 non-fiction. Withdrawals were 47,645 fiction and 11,834 non-fiction. The stock now stands at 1,091,189, of which 656,911 are fiction and 434,278 are non-fiction. One thousand four hundred and sixty-nine new titles were added during the year.