Libraries

Our local library (about a mile away) was excellent until recently. It was open five days a week and one of the librarians organised many activities such as coffee mornings, book clubs and a knitting group. The products from the knitting group would be sold at the coffee mornings and all the proceeds were sent to the local prem. baby unit.

It is now open two and a half days a week. The usual staff have disappeared and the friendly atmosphere has gone.

The library where I took my grandaughter for over a year to Rhyme Time and stories has closed, referring us to the larger one a mile further away, on the first floor of a very modern, impersonal building, reached by cutting through a multi-storey car park. No more walking through autumn leaves, looking for spiders, waving to our shadows in the sunshine, recognising landmarks she knows. It's a quick journey in the car to get to a room with background disturbances, fed up librarians and no volunteers sharing their enthusiasm, knowledge of nursery rhymes long forgotten and love for their role in a library where they were appreciated. So many parents and grandparents who wanted to continue taking their children have dropped off and numbers won't be enough to sustain the sessions begore long. Then, we'll be told there's no interest! Why is it always about quantity and not value? Sad.

I feel guilty about not using my local library much in recent years, though this was mainly due to the fact that on the days it was open it closed at 6 and that's around the time I got home from work. Now that I'm retired I go to libraries more often - my local one (10 minutes walk away) for the monthly reading group, and DGS2's local (again a 10 minute walk) fortnightly just to get him looking at all the different books. The latter one has rhyme and story sessions, but on alternate Saturdays, when I'm not at DGS2's. My local is only open three and a half days a week and doesn't seem to offer anything for children, or for adults apart from the reading group. Liz46's coffee mornings and craft sessions would be good, and I think would be well attended.

I use my local (6 miles away) library about once a fortnight. Mostly for books, sometimes for photocopies. They also have a job club there once a week which I have used recently.They still do children's story sessions.

The library in our old area was closed down some time ago and really affected our community. My DS was, at one time, the youngest joining member at nine days old. We used it all the time but it didn't stop the council closing it down. Ah well. What's a community as long as there are huge shops like Asda to go to?

Our library is in town, so quite handy we can kill two birds with one stone, shopping and library. We have a knit-and-natter morning once a week, and they have just started once a month a board game morning. Their computer practice and learning is always well attended and the staff are so helpful, it is a pleasure to go there.

I have stopped using the library. We used to have a wonderful mobile library and when I was working I could leave my books in the porch and the librarian/driver would take them and change them for me. She always left me a good selection. The powers that be then found out what an excellent service she was giving to us and of course stopped her leaving the van ( it was all of 10 yards). I then started using the library in town which I passed on my way from work and that was fine. After I retired I started using the mobile again but then of course it was withdrawn. At the same time the library in town had its opening hours reduced which do not coincide with my other reasons for going to town (swimming lessons and pilates). I now buy my books from a small charity shop for 25p each, read them and return them to the shop. Much cheaper than paying a library fine !!

Our library has recently moved into a brand new building and is now integrated with all the Council services and is called "A One Stop Shop." This is what we term progress. It has lost that "library" feeling as we knew libraries to be in the past, and has been likened to an airport lounge, with a cafe in situ. There are newspapers and computers, and free internet for those who who wish to use these services.
It does have several book groups running, and a young children's "Rhyme Time" a couple of mornings a week, which is quite well attended. Also there is the "Summer Reading Challenge" for four to eleven year olds, which runs every summer through the school holidays, and for which I am a volunteer.
The library assistants have lost their specific roles, and are now more like receptionists for all the services offered. Such a shame, but at least we still have a library thank goodness.

I've been an avid user of public libraries all my life and go to my local one every 10 days or so. I borrow anything from 6 to 8 books a time depending on what they have in. Thursday is a good day to go as they get their new stock then and there is nothing to beat the smell and feel of a brand new book. I should feel bereft without the public library. I can order books or extend the return date on-line so there is never the danger of a fine!

I loved the library when I lived in Darlington – a glorious red-brick Victorian building donated by a local philanthropist. I just borrowed books to keep me entertained but it also had many other facilities for those who needed them for research or homework. Where I live now, the library – a much more modern building – is also a joy with many different genres of books to borrow, a great children's library which also offers a variety of activities, plus computers and a local history archive. It is one of my three-year-old grandson's favourite outings with me to go to choose new books at the library.

I have always used libraries since childhood. They are like treasure troves filled with wonderful surprises. My local library is a small modern building but still a great place to spend time. I also use the libraries e books and download magazines to my iPad which I combine with borrowing actual books . I hope they never close their doors.

There is a library at the end of my road (an 8 minute walk), which I use occasionally.

I use the main library (about a mile away) every week. It is in the town centre at the top of a very busy market and it was completely refurbished and extended a few years ago.

I get a selection of children's books to take to the school where I read with the children (the school library's selection is rather limited). I don't usually get books for myself from the library. I prefer to buy paperbacks, either new or from charity shops.

We are lucky - the libraries here are excellent and very well used.

They're doing the same to our library and civic centre, caz and taking quite a long time to complete the work. I'm looking forward to seeing the finished building.

I love libraries and have used them all my life. But they are an easy target when the council wants to save money and libraries are either closing or having their opening hours reduced. My library used to open each day but has been cut to only one full day and two half days a week l. I fear it is being closed by stealth, keep chipping the hours off before closing it altogether, or having volunteers running it.
Do not degrade the library service and do not underestimate it's value to members of the community whatever their age.
I do feel very strongly about this.

I love our library which is about 4 miles round trip from where I live, it has the council offices inside which are convenient and does knitting groups and matmaking. I have been a member since I was 7 when I used to borrow Enid Blyton books, which started my craze for reading, I also took my DD which also started her interest in literature leading to her degree in literature and I now occasionally take DGD.
I just love the smell/atmosphere of the library I hope they never close ours. I love my kindle but real books are different more real.

Our library is about 5 minutes away, in the civic complex, next to the health centre and clinic; and handy for Waitrose and other shops.

Once upon a time I couldn't imagine life without my local library, visiting it every week or so and taking out as many books as possible. But that was when I lived in a big town with a large Central Library with an extensive non-fiction section, I am not really a novel reader, and a good local history and reference section as.

I now live in a comparatively rural area. We no longer have a library van. The library in my local town is not large and, as I only visit the town once a week to do my shopping, it is usually shut when I visit.

Much of what I used to do in a library: use the reference section, access specialist literature, do research, I can now do better online. Even my limited novel reading, mainly 19th and early 20th century; everything from Jane Austen to John Buchan, I either already own or can download onto my Kindle for free or a very small cost as the books are now all out of copyright.

I still use specialist libraries but I do miss that regular visit to my local library.

This is too late of course- it would be nice if a little more notice had been given. I live a 10 min walk from my library and use it regularly. It is well used by all ages. There is an area for children, lots of computers, tables for study and even a coffee machine. One thing I would like to see is a "quiet area" some distance from the computers, where children are not allowed, with comfy -not too low- seating etc. There is an area with settees but it is right next door to the computers -usually there are teens playing noisy games. I know things have changed since I was small and chat and noise are allowed in the library now, but those of us who grew up just after the war miss the tranquility and peace we once fouund there.

Alternitively could we have a quiet hour when the computers are turned off and children are not allowed in.

I forgot to mention the fabulous local history archive on the top floor of our central library in town, a 15 minute bus ride away. I've used it for research and it's a haven of tranquillity, as the "no talking' rule is still observed there. I love being in there, scrolling through the microfilm. Till my eyes start boggling, that is - some of those old newspapers are difficult to read.

And I'd forgotten about the mobile service. We used to have one, even though it's not a rural area. I used to really look forward to its fortnightly(?) visit when gettng to the library wasn't so easy with three under 4s.

If Gransnet are successful in getting older people online, will we still need libraries?

All the information we will ever need is available on the internet. Amazon marketplace sell books cheaply. And then, of course, there is the Kindle.

Maggiemaybe we are so lucky there is still a mobile library service here. My 93 year old mother uses it. She reads a lot and having a pile of books delivered to her is something which enriches her life and keeps her going.
jinglebellsfrocks not everything is on the internet. I use our library in town for research and some things can only be found by looking at original sources. And I like books if I had to buy all the ones I read I'd be skint!