This story caught my eye because I thought it was about my local Sanford White-designed BPL at Grand Army Plaza here in New York City. But there are many Brooklyns, and this one is near Wellington, New Zealand. The Brooklyn Library there is about to celebrate its centennial.
This story gives a bit of history of the old library (now a playcentre), and tells how it included full living quarters for the librarian (bedroom, bathroom, scullery, etc.) when it was built back at the beginning of the twentieth century. Back then, it was only open nine hours a week, and the collection amounted to a total of 350 titles.
Returning to our roots
…only open nine hours a week, and the collection amounted to a total of 350 titles.
Nine hours huh?
Wow, with budgets the way they are going it looks librarianship is returning to its roots; and not in the way we had thought.