‘The Christchurch Metropolitan Library Service, 1852-1948’
Master of Arts and Honours in History Thesis by D. E. Wood, November 1950
https://heritage.christchurchcitylibraries.com/Publications/1950s/MetropolitanLibrary/PDF/CCL-70963.pdf
“The cultural standard of any community is reflected in its libraries and the use made of them.
In a democratic country such as this the wishes of the people are paramount and the blame must be borne by them if their libraries fail to fulfill their function.”
– Thesis by D. E. Wood, November 1950
This function has been admirably defined by the late Professor H. Laski (Professor of Political Economy at the University of London) when addressing the fifty-eighth annual conference of the Library Association of England in 1935:
“I believe that the purpose of a public library is to make accessible the heritage of culture, in the widest sense of the word, to any who may wish to take advantage of it.
The first implication, therefore, of my view is the need to view that heritage as something independent of any special attitude of mind.
We are not entitled to narrow its substance because we are Socialists or Conservatives, Christians or Freethinkers, exponents of one philosophy rather than another.
The only test we can apply to the content of a public library is the test of significance.
If the book meets that test, in the judgement of competent persons, the public is entitled to find it on the shelves of the library…
We are not justified in barring gates which lead to roads we may not happen to approve.” (Pages 7-8)
Chapter IV: Christchurch Suburban Libraries (Pages 93-127)
On May 24, 1867 the residents of St Albans and Knightstown met at the house of Mr Tom Lewis to consider the formation of a Mutual Improvement Association.
From this small beginning the Christchurch suburban library system developed. (Page 93)
On June 14, 1873 the Provincial Council made a grant of £5000 ‘for aiding in establishing new and assisting existing Public Libraries, Book Clubs, and Institutes in country districts.’ (Page 97)
Faced with the colossal task of ensuring that every district should be treated according to its merits, the Provincial Council set about dividing its grant in a workmanlike manner, laying down a definite principle for library grants.
All sites for library buildings were to be vested either in the Superintendent or trustees with the declaration that they were for the purpose of public libraries and that the books or other property would be alienated, but held for the benefit of the inhabitants of the respective districts. (Page 98)
When the final distribution figures were announced, Papanui received £100 and St Albans, Waltham, and Addington £200 each, while all four received grants of £50 for books. (Page 99)
Thus when the provincial system was abolished in 1875 there were five suburban libraries in Christchurch – at Papanui, Waltham, New Brighton, and two at St Albans. (Page 99)
Although there were a number of libraries established, especially in main centres, before 1875, their growth after that year was greatly facilitated by two Acts of the General Assembly.
The first of these, the ‘Public Libraries Powers Act’, 1875, provided that any group of people not less than ten in number, have subscribed not less than £20, could make a declaration of their intention to establish a public library or a mechanics’ institute at a place to be named in the deed.
It laid down the necessary procedure for establishing such an institution and made provision for existing libraries to become incorporated under the Act.
On its own this Act is of little significance but it was followed two years later by the ‘Public Libraries Subsidies Act’ which set aside an annual government grant to those libraries supported by either the 1869 Act or the 1875 Act.
This grant was to be apportioned among the several provincial districts according to population.
To those libraries, necessarily completely free, supported under the provisions of the former Act there was to be payable a sum equal to that raised under the library rate, while the amount received by those supported under the latter Act was in the discretion of the Education Boards.
Admission to all libraries established or supported under this Act of 1877 was to be open to the public free of charge, provided that only those persons contributing at least five shillings a year should be entitled to take books out of any such library.
Under this system it became customary to open a small reading room to the public while the remainder of the library was run on a subscription basis.
These three acts of 1869, 1875, and 1877 set the pattern of New Zealand library growth.
In accordance with the provisions of these Acts, the first government grant of £5000 was made in 1878 and the Christchurch libraries which benefited from it were New Brighton, Papanui, St Albans, St Albans Mutual Association, and Waltham. (Page 100)
When the Canterbury settlement completed its first fifty years, there were still only five suburban libraries – but not the original five.
By a special local act in 1893, the old Knightstown Library was transferred to the people of St Albans for the purpose of establishing a new library, so that thenceforth St Albans has had only one library. (Page 101)
Thus by 1922 the City Council was subsidising libraries at Addington, Linwood, St Albans, Sydenham, Waltham and Woolston, in addition to carrying out building renovations and alterations when required.
In fact, in 1922, a completely new library building was erected in St Albans on the sole condition that the building and books were to be insured by the Council, the premiums being paid by the Library. (Page 104)
In 1935, besides subsidies to ten suburban libraries the Council financed alterations and repairs at Sydenham, St Albans, Waltham, Linwood, and Beckenham. (Page 106)
It seems pertinent to ask whether the City Council considered that the service provided by the suburban libraries was equal to that provided by, or which ought to have been provided by, the central public library.
No matter what the Council thought, it is obvious that in comparison to other centres, the amount devoted to the library system each year was entirely inadequate. However, as the Council considered the suburban libraries worth over £20,000 of public money in the period from 1925 to 1945, it is imperative that we discover the real value of the service being rendered.
With the exception of Woolston, each library is maintained and services entirely by volunteer labour, each having, on an average, seventeen librarians of whom approximately fifty per cent are women.
All but Redcliffs and Woolston are open six days a week for an average of an hour and twenty minutes each day, although some of them are open for three hours a day.
Consider the volunteer nature of the system these figures are, indeed, very creditable and the suburban libraries are commendable from the standpoint of civic interest and neighbourly co-operation. (Page 108)
Apart from a subscription varying from six to ten shillings per year, there is no check on membership and, if one so wished, it would be possible to belong to every library in Christchurch. (Page 109)
Suburban loyalty ensures, at any rate to a large extent, that the majority of residents prefer to patronise their own library, even if another is slightly more accessible.
The very fact that libraries in St Martins and Opawa serve 1551 and 2385 persons respectively while those in St Albans and Linwood have to attempt to cope with approximately 42,000 between them should be sufficient for any enthusiastic supporter of the existing system to hang his head in shame.
These two libraries have to serve, besides their own districts, North Richmond, Richmond, Avonside, North Linwood and East Linwood. (Page 110)
“As suggested in the preface, and emphasised throughout the entire work, good library facilities are a first essential of a high standard of culture, and the use made of those facilities must be entered to the cultural credit or debt of the citizens concerned.
With the increasing complexity of the pattern of human life it becomes more than ever imperative that each and every one of us should make a sincere and determined effort to understand our fellow humans throughout the world.
Without understanding, tolerance is impossible. Without tolerance, war and destruction are not only possible but highly probable.
In numerous instances, that indispensable tolerance can be acquired by reading, and the necessary books should be available in any public library worthy of the name.
If those books are not available, if, in other words, a public library service is not fulfilling its correct function, then it is of the utmost importance that the deficiencies are brought to light… (Page 148)
Even if the adults of today are merely interested in the welfare of their children, it would at least be reasonable to suggest that those children will, in their turn as parents, have also an appreciation of the value of good literature and the spirit of tolerance. (Page 152)”
– Thesis by D. E. Wood, November 1950
– Appendix B: ‘The Canterbury Public Library Act, 1873’ (Page 156)
– Christchurch City Suburban Libraries Map with Population numbers from the 1945 Census (Page 165)
Other Links:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christchurch_City_Libraries
https://my.christchurchcitylibraries.com/brief-history-christchurch-city-libraries/
https://my.christchurchcitylibraries.com/factsheet/ Timeline
https://heritage.christchurchcitylibraries.com/Archives/52/Library150/
‘Celebrating 150 Years Christchurch City Libraries: 1859 – 2009’
https://www.10shirleyroad.org.nz/st-albans-community-centre-1867-2021/
https://www.10shirleyroad.org.nz/charles-duggan/
My ancestor, Charles Duggan was the first Librarian of the Knightstown Library (Dover Street).
The Library opened in 1867 as the St Albans Mutual Improvement Association & Reading Room.
“From this small beginning the Christchurch suburban library system developed.”