The principal change in the Library during this time was probably in the staff. Members of the staff, mostly in senior positions, had held degrees, but generally they had not been recruited from university graduates and had picked up such library technique as they could at work. A university degree now became essential, and in addition, outside studies of library science were favoured as being of value both to the member of the staff and to the Library. Mr A. D. McIntosh, now head of the Department of External Affairs, for example, was given leave in 1932 after receiving a Carnegie grant to attend the Library School at the University of Michigan.
Dr Scholefield was also responsible for the introduction of women to the staff. Though a Mrs North had been employed as a clerk for six months in 1900, the hours of duty had made the Library a man's world. In 1926 Miss Q. B. Cowles, from the Turnbull Library, was the first of the many young ladies who since then have been members of the staff.
The other change was in the reference service. The Library came to be called on more and more for research and information. These calls came not only from members of Parliament, but also from Government Departments and from the public. The staff naturally had to be more highly trained to carry out these tasks and had to spend more time to answer the inquiries. After Mr McIntosh's return the reference staff was reorganised and a collection of quick reference books made. In addition, not only did the staff carry out research but it began to summarise and rewrite the results of its research ready for immediate use by honourable members.
Dr Scholefield, with his keen interest in biography, was instrumental in obtaining for the Library many collections of personal papers of New Zealand statesmen. Among these are the papers of Sir John Hall, William Rolleston, and Sir Julius Vogel, not to mention the wonderful papers written and collected by the Richmond and Atkinson families over nearly 50 years. These documents are already proving valuable to political and historical scholars.
Dr Scholefield was also Controller of Dominion Archives and for some years these were housed in the Library. During his period as Chief Librarian, in addition to several editions of Who's Who in New Zealand, Dr Scholefield published his monumental Dictionary of New Zealand Biography and two other works of biography.
On his retirement in October 1947 Dr Scholefield was succeeded by Mr W. S. Wauchop, m.a., who had joined the staff in 1924 as Assistant Chief Librarian. Freed from the restraints of war, and with a larger grant, the Library expanded rapidly. The Library Committee, which had for some years taken a less important rôle in the control of the Library, once again came to the fore. It was instrumental in obtaining much needed space and assisting generally in the progress which took place.
Mr Wauchop was also responsible for obtaining the microfilm camera which is today reducing the bulk of New Zealand newspapers received in the Library to manageable proportions for storage. Great steps forward were also taken in the indexing of New Zealand newspapers and for the first time in its history the Library had a complete index to all news in two (later three) of the more important newspapers in the Dominion. Mr Wauchop retired at the beginning of 1955.
FIRE AND FIRE INSURANCE
No history would be complete without some mention of the fire of the early morning of 11 December 1907 which destroyed most of Parliament Buildings. It began in the old portion formerly occupied by the Library at about 2 a.m. and rapidly spread to the Legislative Council on one side and the House of Representatives on the other. Both these portions were of wood and burned fiercely.
Though the Library was in the brick portion, fire danger had still been considered to be great so that earlier in the year the stackroom windows overlooking the courtyard had been bricked up. In addition, the entrance door was protected by a steel blind.