Our local library was eventually rescued after attempts to close it in December 2008. Now it's under threat again. Wirral Council is proposing to turn it into a One-stop-shop for Council services. Out will go librarians and in will come customer service personnel. Out will go folk to receive your books and stamp them out and in will come machines. This will undoubtedly lead to a drop in usage. This will then give THEM the excuse to close it... One should know better than to fight the inevitable but I shall.
A lovely moment on the BBC Children's programme Newsround. One of the presenters said “When you think of extinction your mind might go to do-dos”. Oops. She pronounced it doo-doos as opposed to doh-dohs. My mind doesn't often go to doo-doos though it sounds like a good children’s word for a trip to the toilet!
Football again dominated my day - this time it was Liverpool knocking Manchester United (our arch rivals) out of the F.A. Cup. What a marvellous week for the club and its fans.
I haven't won the lottery this week but I did win in December – a total of £8.10p. Not quite the fortune I was hoping for. Partner-who-drinks-tea often contemplates what she would do with a large win but I rarely bother. It did occur to me the other day that one thing I would do (after I had hired an odd job man to save me all the horrible D-I-Y tasks) was buy a house with a large enough room for my library. I would then try to find a copy of every book I have ever read – at least, those that I can remember. (I've been reading Audrey Niffenegger's 'The Night Bookmobile').
There would be two complete sets of paperback Agatha Christies (the Pan and Fontana ones), hardback Billy Bunter books, Alistair MacLeans (in the leather-backed Heron series), beautiful Beatrix Potters, hardback Nigel Tranters and paperback P G Wodehouse sets, Black Beauty (in a red binding) and Man Booker Prize winners. What fun it would be collecting them and trying to find editions with the same covers or bindings.
One wall would be devoted to those books I haven't read but which are either an integral part of my library at the moment (like the New Naturalist series which, in all honesty, I am unlikely ever to read in full)or are on my To Be Read list.
In the middle of the room would be a series of waist high stands with my favourite books open at some suitable place or displaying their covers It might be a favourite illustration or a beloved piece of text. I would change these display books once a week. If you want to visit, entrance will be free. Alternatively, you might like to create your own in your mind – which is about as real as mine is ever likely to get!
I would love to visit your wonderful library when it's up and running... re the Reds..
ReplyDelete"You'll Never Walk Alone"
A fantastic week for me...I work in Manchester.
Have just found you and am delighted.
ReplyDeleteDon't forget to set up comfy armchairs and have a fire going! When can I come visiting your fabulous library?
ReplyDeleteAnd I do hope the poor librarians won't lose their jobs!!
How can any council justify closing libraries? Disgraceul!
ReplyDeleteSP
Another most enjoyable ramble, CJ. You should take up blogging - you'd be really good at it.
ReplyDeleteOh, a copy of every book I ever read! I wonder what size flat I'd need for that... What I'm seriously contemplating if I might find a way to at least fit in ONE more shelf...
ReplyDeleteOur town library was recently renovated. They seem to have kept a handful of librarians but they also have a HUGE dragon monster of a machine to receive returned books. I must go and take photos of it some day for the blog. I haven't actually tried feeding it yet. Not that I'm keeping all the books I borrow, but I prefer to hand them in at the small branch library (where they still have people behind the counter).
What a cool idea! I agree with Librarian though, must also have a couple of comfy chairs and a cople of rally good reading lamps. And a little table to hold my cuppa and bicci!
ReplyDeleteHugs, Carol