December 1958 School Magazine

Brisbane Girls' Grammar School Mag,azine

Brisbano Girls' Gramma1' School Mag.azine

December , 195~

Dec•ember, 1958

A SHORT HISTORY OF THE BRISBANE GIRLS' GRAMMAR SCHOOL LIBRARY

THE BRISBANE GIRLS' GRAMMAR SCHOOL LIBRARY.

This year has seen three new developments in the history of the Brisbane Girls' Grammar School Library-the opening of the new Library Building on 7th June, the appointment of Mrs. Roe as part-time librarian, and the instituting of a library period a week for practically every form in the School. The word library means both the building which houses a collec- tion of books, and the collection itself; the erection of our building is the work of the last eighteen months, but the accumulation of money for it and its furnishings began several decades since, while the collection of our books was. commenced at least seventy years ago. The nucleus of a Reference Library was begun while Miss Sophia Beanland was Headmistress, 1882-89; and she left behind her a considerable part of her own library, a practice which was followed by later Headmistresses-Miss Wilkinson, Miss Mackay and Miss Lilley. The birth of the Fiction Library is not recorded, but in 1894 it is reported as "continuing to flourish ." In 1902 there were 382 volumes, and in 1904, 630, in the Library. Miss Wilkinson's Annual Report of 1909 states: "The School Reference Library has been greatly enlarged dur- ing the year, and its new and handsome resting place is a source of pride and pleasure to the staff. The Girls' Lending Library is as popular as ever and now contains nearly 600' carefully chosen books." The bcokca':es mentioned are still in use in the Fiction Library. The oldest extant copy of a B.G.G.S. magazine, Decem- ber, 1913, states that the Library then consisted of over 600' books, which had just been recatalogued "entirely due to the unceasing care and pains of Miss Mackay, who, when the work was ·finished , gave the Sixth Form," who had helped in the undertaking, "a tea to commemorate and celebrate the aus- picious event." Such a recataloguing had not been attempted since "Miss Cookson did it some years ago." The library fees in those days were 6d. a quarter. By . June. 1920, an increased use of the Library was re- port~d. The Fifth Form, who were the library assistants, wrote in . the magazine of ·"having a strenuous time every Friday supplying the. wants of critical children who hardly ever know what they do want. How their youthful minds must benefit by our -sage advicel" Historical novels and most of the classics were much in demand, as, too, were school stories, of which the supply was stated to be "very insufficien f." (There was then a Junior School).

THE LIBRARY BUILDING

INSIDE THE REFERENCE LIBRARY

55

54