Do You Use Your Public Library?

[SiHart]

This thread has a bit of a vested interest to me (obviously being a supervisor of two public libraries) but I wanted to know if you make use of your local library?

It's a fact that library useage is dropping in the UK. There's a whole host of factors involved in this from people just forgetting they're still there, libraries not knowing how to position themselves, the rise of Amazon and other online bookseller offering books very cheaply... the list goes on and on.

It's likely that across the country libraries ar going to close over the next year or so. Somerset are cutting several branches in the next few months for example as part of the cost cutting coming down from Central Government. So I wanted to know if you make use of your library and if not, why not. It all helps me to come up with things that might help save a few of our libraries.

So do you think there's still a place for libraries or are they outdated and behind the times? What do you think they should be doing? What services should they offer? What are your library experiences (or lack of them!)?

Si xx

[Lissa]

I joined the library near work during the World Cup (no connection - I just remember filling in the form during a French defeat) but I'm too shy to go in there. They haven't sent me a membership card - I don't think they do that sort of thing any more - so I'd be lost at the check out desk.

Libraries are in a very difficult position nowadays - it's a service which exists artifically (ie state subsidised) because it wasn't something people would pay for privately (unlike, for example, video rental) and now that the internet has taken over many - but not all - of a library's function, is there still a need for them? Personally I think there is but their role will change. They'll need to raise more revenue to subsidise the community aspect of their function. Maybe by letting people buy books they like through an Amazon affiliation - I'm sure a lot of people would love to be helped to discover new authors by talking to a friendly librarian and the library would get commission for sale. On a bigger scale, imagine if a library had a Kindle that people could try and if they like it, the library could order it and get commission on that too. But once you introduce money, the whole spirit of the local library begins to change.

[Si Hunt]

I don't, purely because books are quite cheap and with find-book.co.uk and cheap sites like Amazon Marketplace, it would probably cost me more in time and petrol to get down to a library than it would to buy a book on-line every week. Not that I read that much anyway!

But they're for other people really - old people, people who can't drive, people who can't afford a new book every week but who like reading, people who just like the social aspect, students, researchers... I'm sure Libraries still fulfil a useful function in society to lots of people. And I love hearing all Si's stories about the goings-on in his library.

Si.

[Dino]

I used to take out their Doctor Who books in my old public library. That got pulled down in the late 1990's as part of first wave of New Labour... and in it's place a Millennium Centre! Built in (Much smaller selection) library... gym.. creche... offices... Café!
I hardly ever take out any book these days, but I do use the librarires computer to print stuff off for 10p each.
There are three other much larger, older buildings libraries not far from where I live. But I find if I ever use them it's for the same use of their computers.
Not used the CD library in another library for ages and an age though.

[WhiteCrowNZ]

I love our library in both Farnborough and Wainuiomata. It's the best place to go to find out things that are happening around us.

That and a couple of Upper Hutt Sci Fi bods are librarians so they'd kick my ass if I said otherwise (you'd really get on with my friend David Lee Si). But here in New Zealand we have economic forces which are helping to keep them central - we don't get the benefit of the economy of scale of the US or UK so books are really expensive (we don't have Kindle ebooks here either).

We also as I've told Si about have a range of additional services at our library - you can do a lot more of it online than in the UK. You just have to look around the train to realise how popular libaries are.

[shada pavlova]

I used to regularly visit the library in Bath until we moved away...to a tiny village with no library within twenty miles, and Bath three bus rides away.

[Jeff]

I haven't been to a library in years. The towns where I grew up never had any, though eventually they turned the High School Library into the town library.

When I was little though, my Mom used to take us to the library in the town she grew up in which was bigger. That library was a large, two-storey, old brick building with old wooden shelves and wooden tables and this great library smell. She had to pay for a library card because we lived in another county, and I mainly remember taking out the old 'Alfred Hitchcock and The Three Investigators' mysteries.

Later on my Mom moved back there after the divorce and I had my own card as a teenager using her address (even though I stayed with my Dad) and would go there regularly. I even asked if they were hiring after I got out of school, but they never were.

[Andrew Curnow]

As a kid I loved going (or, I suppose, being taken) to our local library. But I must admit that although Zel uses the town one occasionally, I haven't done in ages - 3 or 4 years at a guess. Just sat here thinking about it now, I think the main reason is that the books I know I like to read, I've already got - what I'd really like is something to really encourage or interest or even just let me know, about other books and/or authors I might like.

I'd better quickly add that, yes, I could just go into the library and browse, and no, it's not the library's fault at all if I've not got off my arse and seen what other stuff is out there.... But in terms of answering Si's question of what they should be doing (to hopefully become more and more used and 'unclosable') is actively promoting different works and styles and things. How you do that more than already, I don't know.

[Jon Masters]

I love libraries. I've always loved libraries. I can still recall spending whole mornings or afternoons during the summer holidays, when I was in juniors (8-11) in my local library. It was only 5 minutes walk from home, I'd go along on my own and sit and read, or look through reference books just for the fun of it. When I got older I'd browse the adult fiction section (steady ), discovering new authors for myself, trying them out, and then pestering the library staff to get more if I liked them.

At Uni in Edinburgh one of the first things I did was join the city library service - in fact I did more studying in the local libraries than I did in the Uni ones, which were full of students all doing their best to find any distraction from studying. By that time I also used their tape library almost as much of the books.

Now I always have 2 or 3 library books on the go - and can reserve or renew my books online, and browse the catalogue of any West Sussex library all from home - books, tapes, CDs (esp DW audios), DVDs etc. I've encouraged the boys to use the library as much as possible too, and we wander down every 3 weeks to see what we can get.

It's not like I don't buy lots of books, but for me the library is all about

• being able to read new books in hardback long before it comes out in affordable paperback
• finding and trying new authors or book types I might never otherwise bother with. I'd guess nearly all of my favourite authors are ones I started with by picking up a library book
• getting access to material that isn't on the internet
• being able to try out new hobbies or skills without forking out for books first
• recipe books - have you seen how many cookbooks the average library has ?
• keeping my kids interested in reading and discovering things for themselves, without spending a fortune (have you seen the price of kids books with probably only 90 pages in ? Target book prices they aint !)

As for the future of libraries, I wonder if like WH Smiths and Woolworths they aren't trying to be too many things to fewer people. I'd be happy if they ditched the DVDs and videos, and got more journals or periodicals in. I certainly look forward to my retirement when I'll hopefully be able to go back to spending a morning or afternoon pottering around my local library.

I mainly remember taking out the old 'Alfred Hitchcock and The Three Investigators' mysteries.

I loved those books

[Philipnet]

I think I have esoteric tastes

I've searched the on-line catalogue of my local library service and can't find anything on raw food nor anything on Systems Management Server

[Jon Masters]

I think I have esoteric tastes

I've searched the on-line catalogue of my local library service and can't find anything on raw food nor anything on Systems Management Server

Move to Sussex !!

RCN - ISBN/ISSN/BNB XX00071591
ISBN 9781583331712
Dewey (current) 641.563
Personal Name Underkoffler, Renee Loux
Main Title Living Cuisine, the art and spirit of raw food
Publication Avery, 2003
Subject Heading Cookery : Diet : Health


Copy Availability
Library Shelf Location Status Duedate Category
Burgess Hill 641.563 On loan 27/09/10 Adult Non-Fiction Paperback

[Philipnet]

Move to Sussex !!

I'm (hopefully) moving to Surrey. Does that count ?

[Captain Tancredi]

I love our library in both Farnborough and Wainuiomata. It's the best place to go to find out things that are happening around us.

That and a couple of Upper Hutt Sci Fi bods are librarians so they'd kick my ass if I said otherwise (you'd really get on with my friend David Lee Si). But here in New Zealand we have economic forces which are helping to keep them central - we don't get the benefit of the economy of scale of the US or UK so books are really expensive (we don't have Kindle ebooks here either).

We also as I've told Si about have a range of additional services at our library - you can do a lot more of it online than in the UK. You just have to look around the train to realise how popular libaries are.

A friend who used to go to Australia and New Zealand every winter to watch cricket used to reckon that you could make a fortune by hiring a cargo ship, loading it with secondhand books from charity shops and sending it to New Zealand because avid readers outside the main towns and cities have their work cut out.

If I hadn't popped into my local library to see what was going on on Tuesday evening I wouldn't have signed up for a German class last night. I tend not to borrow things, though, because I have about six months' reading material here with me.

[Stuart Wallis]

I love libraries. I've always loved libraries. I can still recall spending whole mornings or afternoons during the summer holidays, when I was in juniors (8-11) in my local library. It was only 5 minutes walk from home, I'd go along on my own and sit and read, or look through reference books just for the fun of it. When I got older I'd browse the adult fiction section (steady ), discovering new authors for myself, trying them out, and then pestering the library staff to get more if I liked them.

At Uni in Edinburgh one of the first things I did was join the city library service - in fact I did more studying in the local libraries than I did in the Uni ones, which were full of students all doing their best to find any distraction from studying. By that time I also used their tape library almost as much of the books.

Now I always have 2 or 3 library books on the go - and can reserve or renew my books online, and browse the catalogue of any West Sussex library all from home - books, tapes, CDs (esp DW audios), DVDs etc. I've encouraged the boys to use the library as much as possible too, and we wander down every 3 weeks to see what we can get.

It's not like I don't buy lots of books, but for me the library is all about

• being able to read new books in hardback long before it comes out in affordable paperback
• finding and trying new authors or book types I might never otherwise bother with. I'd guess nearly all of my favourite authors are ones I started with by picking up a library book
• getting access to material that isn't on the internet
• being able to try out new hobbies or skills without forking out for books first
• recipe books - have you seen how many cookbooks the average library has ?
• keeping my kids interested in reading and discovering things for themselves, without spending a fortune (have you seen the price of kids books with probably only 90 pages in ? Target book prices they aint !)

I shan't bother coming on this thread - my job of evangelism is done.

I should add that Essex Libraries has a county-wide Net service for all, since not everyone has immediate access at home, particularly unemployed people and certain otherwise unemployable members of staff! Due to the British being used to cuts, we've also had to take on an extra couple of staff members to deal with the merger with the local council office. It's still slightly peculiar to be handing out garden waste recycling bags of a weekend when they're not about! Do you know, we even have a couple of sidelines in the form of a Connexions centre for teenagers, greetings cards and off-prescription specs. Don't ask me how it's done!

Lissa; please use your library. Infact, everyone who likes reading, please use your library if you can. Apart from preventing The Lads from taking to Ladding professionally, it's such a vital service to so many people. The mobile library alone is Meals On Wheels for the brain for a lot of people who aren't as mobile as they were; it's another visitor for them - given the choice of the librarian or Tim Wonnacott...

[Anthony Williams]

I have a membership card for my library, but I rarely use it. When I was still at Waterstone's, the staff discount card meant that books were cheap enough for me to buy wontonly, and so I did. Before I left, I had a mini-spending spree, while I still had my discount card, which I'm still in the process of reading through!

Once I've used up all that material, I'll probably start using the library again

Ant x

[Alex]

I used to, but both the libraries near me have a very poor selection of books sadly. I know you can order them, but that always seems a bit of a hassle...I probably would if I didn't go charity shop shopping and car booting so much, but I do and so have always a great selection of books to get through.

I think it's also because I like to own the book that I've read, at least if I've really enjoyed it, and if not it can go back to the charity shop and hopefully earn them a bit more money.

[Larry]

simple answer is no - I think it must be 30 odd years since I used a public library.

[Stuart Wallis]

It's been 30 downright peculiar years since I last left one!

[SiHart]

A day of action is planned for the 5th of February - Save Our Libraries Day. Local events – ‘read-ins’ are being organised all over the country, from Hounslow to Somerset, Oxfordshire to Doncaster. In a ‘carnival of resistance’. Many writers – including Philip Pullman, Mary Hoffman, Malcolm Rose and Carole Matthews are due to take part. The Chartered Institute of Library & Information Professionals has also pledged its support. CILIP is encouraging everyone who cares about reading, literacy and libraries to use their library on the 5th and tell as many people as possible to do the same.

Si xx

[Stuart Wallis]

Some of you may have heard about recent events concerning the planned closure of Stony Stratford library in Milton Keynes. A local action group organised for volunteers to borrow every single one of the 14,000 items on the same day, in order to let the council know how important the service is. The council is concidering a change of heart.

Now, I appreciate that there are those for whom street lighting, filling in potholes in the roads, meals on wheels etc. are vital. Pothole filling is vital to all of us to one degree or another, let's be honest. But there are those of us who can't get Internet access, or study material, or company, anywhere else but at a library. Without meaning to sound anymore like an episode of Lifeline than I have already, could I ask you all to support Si's appeal if you can?

[SiHart]

Technically it's not my appeal, I'm just passing it on, but please if you care to any degree about your local library, about access to information from professionals, about access to the internet for those not fortunate to have a PC at home or about access to the world of books at all, then please go and visit your local library on Feb 5th.


Si xx

[SiHart]

This map you the sobering reality of just how many public libraries are under threat in the UK right now.

Si xx

[Stuart Wallis]

Technically it's not my appeal

Well no, it's the appeal of all of us who both work in and who care enough about our public library system to want to see it keep it going, particularly in these times.

[SiHart]

Well said Stuart!

Si xx

[Stuart Wallis]

We try our best.