"1. The main problems facing public libraries are:
(i) The unfair distribution over the whole community of the costs of library service.
(ii) The continuing growth of the cost of municipal government to the point where it has become an embarrassment to the cities and boroughs concerned.
(iii) The failure of some local authorities to provide for library services."
"8. The basic factor in improving library services will be cooperation among local authorities. Such cooperation should be the condition of increased Government assistance."
"10. Government assistance to such federations should take the form of cash subsidies on all expenditure approved for subsidy by the federation, and by the Minister (or National Library Board)."
This report formed the main topic of discussion at the New Zealand Library Association conference in Invercargill in February 1958. The Association approached the Government for favourable consideration of the proposals contained in the report on 11 April 1958.
In the meantime the work of the Royal Commission on Local Government Finance is being followed carefully, as its findings will have considerable bearing on the problem of library finance.
An effort is also being made to foster among local authorities the willingness to cooperate, but progress in this field is slow.
[National Library Proposal]—The report of the Working Party of the Public Service Commission on the National Library proposal was earlier considered by the Government, which had approved it in principle. The House of Representatives last year approved the terms of reference of a Select Committee to be appointed to make recommendations for "ways and means of carrying out the decision of the Government to establish a National Library" and to consider various other associated matters. The decision to appoint such a Committee was reaffirmed in February 1958, the Committee was named shortly afterwards and has since met on several occasions. Independently of any solution of the accommodation problems of the Service which such a move might bring, the proposal merits the most careful consideration.