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 Pupils
Receiving (Standard 1
Exchanges 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.