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This Place Will Lend You Books For Free
Today is the anniversary of the first ever lending library in the UK. Why not go and join one?
Spines like us
Do you read books? Hundreds of them? Are your shelves, rooms, bags, cars, offices full of books? Do you buy them on impulse at train stations and airports? Read the first few chapters before your journey ends? Do you come across a car-boot sale, second hand bookshop or a charity shop; and walk away with books that look like bargains but only have a 25% chance of getting read?
Do you hunger for new releases by favourite writers, get lost scouring Amazon and Ebay and fan sites for rare editions, or volumes you only just heard about. Then never buy them. Go through books in a night, a week, one sitting. Lose sleep over them. Clinging on till the very end. An end that leaves you in tears, angry or spent? Or do they drag on for months and months while other easier to digest stories come and go.
Do you look forward to holidays because you know there’ll be a literary lottery on the hotel’s second hand library shelf? Do you buy books like a habit? Do you find it hard to move them on after you’ve read them, caught between wanting to give them to a friend, or get some of the cover value back, and wanting to retain them as a physical memory of the time you enjoyed reading them?
I do a lot of all of that and more. You can also add the following to books I have: presents I receive, the books I borrow from friends, and the ones that arrive from publishers and writers. But I did something on Saturday that might change all that. I joined a library. And I was shocked, exhilarated and inspired by the experience.
Next time you’re driving or walking past your local library maybe break the habit and step inside. It’s even cheaper than Amazon.
The Library in question has been there for a short while, in the high street of a small town I visit regularly, Rye in East Sussex. It is less than a year old, a huge, clean, well-stocked affair that now sits in what used to be Woolworths. It has computers, computer games, DVDs, talking books and most importantly books. Thousands of them, and as my son, my girlfriend and I all individually noticed, hardly any of the books have ever been taken out. It couldn’t be more different from the libraries I remember from years gone by.
When I suggested joining the library my girlfriend laughed at me, and accused me of looking for a money saving scheme but it just seemed to make sense. I’d walked past this big double fronted shop full of literature many times and hadn’t bothered to venture in. Meanwhile I was suggesting going to a table sale just to see if an old lady I’d once talked to had any more Rebus crime books and the g/f was getting antsy because she’d run out of books by an author she was consuming at a rate of a book every 48 hours.
I’ve not been a member of a library since I was about ten years old so I wasn’t too sure what to expect but I figured you’d have to pay something to join and something to take each book out and it would take ages like everything else does to join or sign up for nowadays. So I was stunned when the lady behind the counter explained it was free to take a book out, free to join and you could prolong your borrowing of a particular book beyond the three week deadline online. Plus you can order a book and they’ll get it in for you for 80p. So I’ll be ordering some of the books written by our writers. So that was it, all of it’s free. No wonder those that use libraries regularly are up in arms about proposed closures of them. It just strikes me as something a nation can boast about – we lend people books for free.
A couple of forms filled in, a card signed, a proof of address and boom we were in. Crime books – masses of them – Le Carre, Michael Connolly, Elmore Leonard, James Elroy, David Peace. History books, war books, books by Sabotage Times writers, sports books. I’m not too sure what my girlfriend was examining at the time but my son was just staring at all the books and films wondering what to take. It was like being in Borders but free. Eventually I had to call time on the browsing as we were running out of reading hours. We left with a Michael Connolly novel, an early le Carre novel, a kids novel and the Diary Of A Wimpy Kid film.
Back home to read, great books in hand, no money spent and knowing the house won’t have yet more books in that no-one else ever gets to read. Next time you’re driving or walking past your local library maybe break the habit and step inside. It’s even cheaper than Amazon.
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History of Blue painting by Stanford Kay
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COMMENTS
By whom is the painting?
A great piece of writing. The situation for libraries is very dire, as you will see on : http://www.publiclibrariesnews.com/
Gabriele we don't know who did the painting, we tried to find out to credit it as it's the best image we could find of bookshelves. It's great isn't it.
Great piece. Think it was Ray Bradbury who said "You don't have to burn books to destroy a culture. Just get people to stop reading them". Closing libraries will be one step in achieving this nihilistic aim. Interested to note that you thought there would be a membership fee, not the only one, I know loads of people who think the same, especially from experience of working in the library. Wonder why this is the case? Maybe people are used to the subscription model with other services they use? No doubt that libraries are under threat but the best ones are still places of wonder, magic and serendipity that can be dipped in and out of, from cradle to grave.
Forgotten all about them places! This has just inspired me to join up. I used to raid Bradford Central Library's audio library for their massive vinyl collection. A right gold mine of raritys.
The public library in Darlington (http://www.francisfrith.com/darlington/photos/free-library-1893_32325/) was (and hopefully still is) a fantastic place. Built by the Victorians, with money made from the railways, I spent many Saturday mornings in there during the seventies. It definitely opened my eyes and introduced me to a world beyond County Durham - well that and David Bowie!
"Libraries gave us power" as the Manics once sang. I can only assume Richie spent most of his time in the travel section.
If enough people aren't using them then they'll go. Rather like pubs. Use them or lose them. I've not set foot in a library since I was a kid. Used to love it though, go with my mum, take out my full allocation, back the next week for more. The problem is they face books becoming ever cheaper and more readily available to buy or read online, most schools have their own libraries and kids do their homework research via Google rather than a trip to the library. If my local library closed I wouldn't notice - though I saw a sign in the fish and chip shop advertising the Bradford branch of the Cactus and Succulent Society's annual show at Shipley library which could tempt me through the doors. I'd imagine the whole structure of libraries needs looking at. Who's visiting them, who they're aimed at in the 2010s and how to get people back through the doors. We'll no doubt still have libraries, but just a lot less of them. Just like we used to have decent local shops before supermarkets came along, Top of the Pops before downloads and YouTube came along and decent football before Sky. But that's progress...
Was there a pamphlet section?
Great piece. Please see www.voicesforthelibrary.org.uk for more about public libraries and the need to support them.
Lancaster Library is powering through with great new acts playing the Get It Loud In Libraries programme. Adele, Florence, Ellie G, Vaccines showing their love for books.Pure, beautiful resource of libraries!
I've grown up with books and generally when I'm out at a mall or anywhere I have to pop into the nearest book store.Recently I heard that an elementary school in my province was phasing out its library for electronic media and I was just furious about it.Why should children be deprived of such a wonderful thing as actual reading?!Just for progress?!I don't think so!
Surrey libraries are great, I'd hate to see my local one go and recently started using their online service to order books I want to read instead of using Amazon. For a mere 50p they even deliver it to the library of my choice. They let you download Kindle (and the like) books for 3 weeks - it's amazing. Books were my life growing up.
Some libraries will even let you avoid the small fee for getting things in if you reserve them yourself online. I use Essex Libraries - I have a saved list of stuff I want to read and just click through reserving the ones I want when I am ready. A few days later I get a text message telling me I have a couple of weeks to pop down and pick them up (generally picking up a few random things when I am in - nothing like serendipity). I renew online as required - easy life. I wonder about the items in Rye being unissued - it may just be that they no longer get stamped out - Essex uses self issue so you just get a little paper receipt with due dates. Over 300 million items got issued out of public libraries last year so I suspect a fair few of the Rye ones had gone out and about!
Pop into a Kent Library and you can request a book for a little as 25p and there are no forms to fill in either! Join on line or at the library and get your card to borrow book straight way. And you can use the compters and internet for free.
Yes god bless Andrew Carnegie. Did you know there are many workplace libraries under threat from ignorant managers slashing services too? Did you know that workplace librarians facilitate access to quality databases and online journals too? Just because you now get access direct from your pc and may prefer the virtual to the physical library, we librarians and information professionals are still there looking after your needs. Where will you go when you are made redundant? Straight back to your local library for help with job finding information. Where will you go when you need study space for that course you plan to undertake to help get you back into employment? We're more that just books - we're a vital service and have been delivering both online and physically for the past 20 years! Glad you reconnected!!!
Libraries = happiness..Drop in, open a book, enjoy a great new band, learn something new, quote a lover poetry, improve your life. Nothing on the high street compares to libraries. Lancashire we salute you
The painting's by a New York artist called Stanford Kay. I won't tell you how I got this information - suffice to say it involved a very frightened Albanian, two six-inch nails, jump leads and a stable power supply. And whilst we're on the subject of books by ST contributors, could someone have a word with Ali Catterall that a sequel to Your Face Here would be much appreciated?
I joined my local library a couple of years ago to combat a very expensive book habit. Best thing ive ever done. Like Alan I also have a reserve list and get the books sent over to my local library, its such a good service and means I dont have to wait untill I can afford the next book to read my favourite series' and authors. Dont take our libraries away from us!!
In Thurrock you can reserve a book for free wherever you do it from and they don't even ask for any proof of ID when you join so it couldn't be easier. Loads of ebooks and e-audio too for people who really don't want to carry books around. The best new thing is BYKI the on-the move way to learn a language. Check it out on the website.
But James didn't mention that the library also gives him reliable reference sources on-line 24/7, so that he needn't get dodgy info. from Wikipedia any more!
I love libraries. You don't seem to love question marks though James. A few more needed in paragraph two, if I'm being a prick. Which I am.
This piece makes me want to shout from the rooftops, 'look another one has joined us!' Welcome returning friend and please be vocal and present in supporting Libraries, in my opinion these hallowed buildings make Britain Great!
Bless ya David! However, I've decided to spend the rest of my days making daft little films instead, like this one: http://tiny.cc/gd6ra
Great piece from a fellow Loiner! Started using them again when the kids were old enough. It's great to see them get lost in the 'feel' if the place. We can't replicate the feel of these so we must keep them open.
can you rent porn?
Great article about one of the wonders of this country. Membership of my local London library gives me access to all the books in the pan London consortium. Mmmm, that's a lot of books. Only 40p per online reservation - bargain.
I like libraries very much! And so do all these very happy people: http://happyinthelibrary.tumblr.com/ So happy
The library connects us with the insight and knowledge, painfully extracted from Nature, of the greatest minds that ever were, with the best teachers, drawn from the entire planet and from all our history, to instruct us without tiring, and to inspire us to make our own contribution to the collective knowledge of the human species. I think the health of our civilization, the depth of our awareness about the underpinnings of our culture and our concern for the future can all be tested by how well we support our libraries. ~Carl Sagan.~
I’m humbled. I visit Rye at least once a month and had complained to my better half that they’d moved the library to the high street and taken up a prime retail site that might have been used for something other than a tourist-tat-rip-off merchants. Now I understand the council’s thinking. The old site was off the beaten track and the library was probably underused as a result, forgotten and neglected. Moving it has given it a new lease of life – James Brown doubtless being just one of many who have now seen it with fresh eyes. That’ll teach me to shoot my mouth off about town planning when I patently haven’t considered the bigger picture.
I joined like a few on here when my son was born. I would be lost without it. I can get any book from other libraries in Wales for free (I live in Wales). So I just get a list & of you go. Sometimes you just need the subject matter. The people who want to get rid of them & leisure centres need putting aup against a wall.
I've just joined my new library in Cornwall, where the "library ladies" set the questions for all the local charity quizzes, for the first time in 25 years. They now have an automated check-in and check-out machine! (I had no idea.) You scan in your membership card then lob in your books and the machine recognises them instantly! Was transfixed and took out more books than originally intended, just to enjoy the technology. Libraries are even more wonderful than they were during my childhood. Respect.
You know those books in your attic that will never be read by anyone can be donated to the library. It's a tax deduction, too!
Amazon has just sent me an email alerting me to the publication of a new book by one of my favourite authors and inviting me to buy a copy from Amazon. But I reserved it at the library a week ago. Ha!
For those of us cramming families into ever smaller homes, libraries are the future. If te Tories leave us any of them. The next street from me, on the Aldersbrook estate in East London, is the smallest library in the country. It's the size of a corner shop and is the heart of the community and a tiny, perfectly proportioned gem. The area would have no heart without it.
I've worked for West Sussex Libraries for 24 years and seen many changes. Fact is, there's nowhere quite like a library for being a community centre, in the very real sense. I work at East Grinstead Library and witness the daily stream of people through our doors – not just library customers, but local residents wanting help with council information, tourists, shoppers desperate for a coffee on a Saturday morning, families visiting the Children and Family Centre that is now part of our building – so many visitors for so many different reasons. Like many counties, West Sussex offers access to all their stock via each library. If what you want isn’t held at one branch but thirty miles away, for a small charge we’ll get it for you. Of course, it’s not just about books! With 36 branches countywide our stock is massive - over 1 million books – and includes music CDs, DVDs, Blu-ray, games for Playstation 2, Xbox, DS, Wii, etc., as well as books on CD and tape cassette and the new Playaway format. We keep music scores, have access to the Performing Arts Library in Dorking for multiple music and play sets, have language sets and large print books. We’re right up there with the other Library authorities around the UK, providing public access computers, e-books to read online, self-service systems and online access to our catalogue. We hold evening author events, host special local interest evenings (the Bluebell Railway was a recent feature), provide activities and storytime for children and take part in the Summer Reading Game for our younger customers. We have online access to a vast amount of reference material via our Electronic Library either from the library building or from home. It’s free to join, free to take out a book (you can borrow up to 20 at a time, if you can carry them. We sadly don’t provide wheelbarrows) and with comfortable chairs dotted around the building, absolutely free to come in and browse and relax for a while. Where else in town is there such a hub of the community? If you haven’t visited your local library, why not pop in and look around? Get a library card and you’ll get a ticket to a whole new world.
remember mobile libraries..?
Libraries, like pubs, giveth the social soul that maketh this nation grand. When they are gone, what remains? An atomised society, connected only by dots ... oh Brave New World !
I'm a big fan of the local library, books are the original rock and roll.
Excellent piece - support your local library. Use it or lose it... http://harrypaterson.co.uk/politics-current-affairs/libraries-are-churches/
Economics had reduced my book buying to charity shops and, apart from the odd gem, I was settling for less. I went to my local library to find out if my fines from the last time I had screwed up had reached six figures. They had no record of me...RESULT. I rejoined...the last of the Ellroy trilogy, that Wailers biog, "Capital" by John Lanchester two weeks after it came out, a Big Star CD. My life is better and now you can re-new online I can keep the library police from my front door.
My local library is great. But, they all charge for music and films. But, £1 for a DVD for a week, pretty good - and a lot cheaper than Blockbuster!
