Nedra Shand (left) assists MP Whetu Tirikatene-Sullivan at the issues desk
In the nineteenth and early twentieth century the Library used handwritten Day Books, Member’s Ledgers and Recess Ledgers to record book issues. Today circulation is controlled through a computer system. Between these two methods existed the system described by Jenny - a staff member in the 1960s.
‘My last position in the Library was as Issues Librarian in the main lobby downstairs. This was a great spot to observe all the comings and goings and you came to recognise many MP’s and their wives and the staff from their offices. Staff from other areas in the buildings also used the library as did ‘Recess Privilege’ holders when Parliament was not in session. We had quite a large fiction collection as well as biography and travel etc. It is really funny thinking back to the Issues system of the time. We noted items on large cards for MP’s and had ‘pockets’ for everyone else. We had a system of different coloured clips which were used week and week about and this was how we identified any overdue items. Parliament always went into a long summer recess and I used to send out baskets of books to the MP’s and their wives for holiday reading. You soon got to know the many tastes they had in reading …one particular wife was addicted to hospital romances.’
July 28, 2008 at 1:21 pm |
Jenny says, ‘I felt I should have elaborated a little more about the “pockets” used in the issue system. Each borrower was entitled to two pockets with their name typed on the front. The book cards from the titles they borrowed were then put into these and filed with the day’s issue, complete with the relevant coloured clip for that week. I also omitted to say that as well as staff from Parliament buildings we also had members of the Judiciary, and the Diplomatic corps with borrowing privileges, and they were frequently to be seen in the Library too.’