The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1879-08-30
Library and Reading Room.

We are pleased to see that this institution which is
designed TO meet a real need in this community, is
exhibiting a very commendable degree of enter
prise IN the line of its appointed work. At the
last business meeting. . new Constitution and By
Laws were adopted, Of the most liberal and prac-
tcai character. The membership is now open to
all respectable persons of sixteen years old and
upwards without qualification of race, creed, or
any distinction whatever either natural or artif-
cial- The rooms are open every week day from
10 A. NJ to 10 P. NJ and on Sundays. from 9 A. n.
to 9 P. N. Books from the library may
be drawn out and returned every day and evening
except Sundays. By, the last arrival from San
Francisco an invoice OF books was received en-
bracing a number of the latest works of the most
popular authors. These are now on the shelves
and at the disposal Of members The library
which already contains nearly nipe hundred vol
umes and Is constantly increasing. comprises q
very good and diversified collection of reading.
calculated to suit a variety OF tastes. The supply
of papers aud periodicals regularly supplied to the
reading room Is for a town of this size exceeding
ly liberal. Some OF these are subscribed for by
the association and others are furnished through the
liberality of friends. The following can be found
on the tables at all times.
San Francisco Bulletin. Chronicle. Alta. Post.
Call. News Letter. Sacramento Union. New
York Tribune Herald. Ledger. Spirit of the Times.
Independent Boston Jorurnal and Pilot. Phila-
drlpbia PROPOSES. Army and navy Journal. Scien-
tic American. American Agriculturist. De-
troit Free Press. Engineer. Manufacturer and
Builder. Iron Age. Sydney Mail. Auckland
Herald. Australasian. London Illustrated News
and Punch. American Punch. Harper;s Weekly.
Frank Leslies illustrated and Popular Monthly.
London Saturday Review. LlOyd's Weekly. Week
ly Times. Dublin Nation. Jewish Messenger. Har-
per's Monthly. Scribner's Monthly. Atlantic
Monthly. North American Review. Popular
Science Monthly Appleton's Journal. American
Journal Arts and Sciences. Eclectic Magazine.
London Quarterly. Edinburgh Quarterly, n. Brit
sh Quarterly. Westminster Review. Chamber's
Journal. Pacific Commercial Advertiser. Hawaii
ian Gazette.
1t is furthermore the desire and intention of the
officers of the association to provide not only a
reading room and library but also a convenient
place OF pleasant resort, open at all reasonable
hours. where persons SO disposed can spened their
leisure time agreeably as well as probably. With
this idea they have provided checker and chess
boards, dominos &c. which the members are free
to use at all times except Sundays, the only re-
strictiOn placed upon the use of games being that
there shall be no gambling-thst is to say no play
ing for stakes.
a separate room is provided for conversation,
games DC. SO that those who desire to spend their
leisure time In a more sociable manner can do so
without in any way interfering with the quiet nee
essary to be preserved in a reading room proper.
The association have just secured a five years
lease OF the entire upper part OF the building
where they are now located and will thus be ena-
bled TO enlarge their accommodations and pro-
vide additional facilities for mental culture and
rational enjoyment as the needs OF the public and
the income OF the organization may from time to
time warrant The sum required from each indi-
vidual member is quite small viz one dollar mi
tiation fee and fifty cents per month dues. No
formality is required in becoming a member ex-
cept to sign the roll and pay the prescribed dues
when called for by the Treasurer. A careful esti-
mate shows that at the above rate. q membership
OF from two hundred and City to three hundred
will be sufficient to pay all current expenses. keep
the reading room literally supplied with news
papers and current periodical literature and leave
a surplus each year to be applied to the purchase
of books of permanent value for the library.
There ought in our opinion to be no question
about securing the necessary support for an insti-
so literally conducted and SO much needed as this
is.