an English library journey

One writer once noted that if you were told you could go into town and find a big shop where all the books were free, you would run there. And yet that’s just what most towns have.

You can often order books you wish to read at the library, and the authors still get a token payout (more if people regularly order). And usually you can borrow up to 10 books, and return them to any library in the same authority. Enter your postcode if you live in a village to find your nearest mobile library.

Google can bring you back 100,000 answers. A librarian can bring you back the right one. Neil Gaiman

Librarians are just like search engines, except they smile and talk to me, and they don’t give me paid-for advertising when they are trying to help. And they have actual hearts. Matt Haig

An English Library Journey is the story of one writer who decided to obtain a membership card for every library authority in England. Across 10 years, he journeys from Solihull to Slough and from Cleveland to Cornwall, to join libraries of all shapes and sizes.

From monuments to Art Decor to a converted corset factory. Engaging us with anecdotes Bill-Bryson-style, he is as interested in the people finds in libraries as the buildings themselves. A book to be treasured by library fans.

Meet Me At The Library is an American book, looking at how public libraries may be the answer to modern lonely communities. Also to understand our differences and exchange ideas.

More than 180 public libraries have been handed to volunteers (or closed) since 2016, rather than being funded by councils.

Ask Your Library for Books You Want!

home is right where you are

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The good news is that most libraries have ‘stock suggestion forms’, you may have to ask for them. You can then pen down the names of books you’d like to see. Most libraries don’t stock self-published books, but they may make exceptions for say local books by historians, of special significance to the area.

The reason for this is that the books must carry the proper imprint labels etc, to be legally able to lend out and give a profit percentage to the author.

Who Is Demolishing England’s Libraries?

books Katie Daisy

Katie Daisy

Many historic libraries have recently been demolished, leading to many local historians being aghast at the reasons why. Birmingham Central Library was not the prettiest of buildings, but it was demolished a few years back, in order to build city office space.

And nearby, Nuneaton’s iconic library that has served the community for 50 years is about to be demolished, to make way for a new building and offices. The building could easily be retrofitted, and would preserve work by Sir Frederick Gibberd, who designed Liverpool Metropolitan Cathedral.

Independent Libraries Association lists all the libraries nationwide that are not owned by councils, and many are historic. These were mostly opened when there were no public libraries and only the big university libraries. These libraries house a collective 2 million books, and are mostly in listed buildings. There are some new ones like Scotland’s Library of Mistakes, which lets people freely view how to avoid financial crashes of late.

The Working Class Movement Library charts the history of our country, in a Victorian building in Salford, near Manchester. From the industrial revolution to stories of campaigners and Irish history. A Holocaust history library in London.

Join the Little Free Library Movement

little free library

Little Free Library is a worldwide movement to share free books. Identify a location and steward, The library can be indoors or outside. some even turn old tabletop fridges into little libraries. or repurpose old furniture. The cuble can be made without scissors or glue to build your own library for 3 books from paper.

Some free libraries look a bit like decorated birdhouses. Please don’t use these, as birds may try to nest in them. Tin bright-coloured birdhouses can overheat, and attract predators. 

You could adopt an old BT red phone kiosk for a pound. Some use them for defibrillators, others for little libraries.

Free Affordable Books for Adults & Children

wild city

Listening Books is a lending charity with 9000 books that are lended out members with sight problems (including those living in care homes). For around £20 a year, charity members pay 30% less than true costs, and free membership is available for some.

We had a quick look, and found the wonderful book Wild City, about our urban wildlife. Readers will meet the badgers of Brighton’s most exclusive postcode and black country bats, who have found havens in industrial tunnels. You can listen to a sample online.

  • Living Paintings offers touch-to-see books for children & adults. Everything is dispatched for free through RNIB’s Articles for the Blind program.
  • Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library mails free books addressed to children, and has so far delivered 6 million books to children in the UK at no cost. The selected children receive a free book each month, until they are 5 years old.

Subscribe to a Quality Book Club

  • Happily Ever After Book Box is a book service by genre, with donations from each subscription help animal charities nationwide (they’ve already given over £2000 to a wonderful farm sanctuary). You can order books with vegan chocolates each month (use a letterbox guard, for homes with pets).
  • Willoughby Book Club asks reading preferences, then sends out carefully selected books each month. If you’re passionate about nature or vegan cooking, your recipient (or you) receives a hand-selected vegan recipe book or nature read. There are options for children to grandparents, from romance novels or war thrillers.
  • Mr B’s Reading Subscriptions offers an online service from ‘the world’s best bookshop’ in the city of Bath. Just fill in the questionnaire to learn your choices, then receive beautifully-wrapped books for 3 to 12 months, including for children. Your Bibliotherapist stays in touch, should your wishes change. If you receive a book you own, just return for something else.
  • The Gently Used Book Club offers unique categories including Agatha Christie novels, poetry and historical fiction. Sent in eco packaging, the Re-Read scheme lets you return books with a postage label, for 15% off next order. Use a sturdy box, and pad well.
  • Hand Me Down Book Club has genres for classics, romance and children. The books are all in good condition and sent out in plastic-free packaging. You can also choose to subscribe bi-monthly if you’re on a budget.

Send Favourite Books Around the World!

BookCrossing is the world library! Just leave a book you love somewhere public (like in a cafe) and post it online. Someone comes to collect it, reads it and then does the same, sending your book all around the world, to be read by different people.

Donate Positive Books to Prisoners

Give a Book is a charity that donates books to prisoners, to foster positive lifestyles, before release. If someone is holed up for 20 hours a day in a cell, one of the most helpful ways to spend that time is to study or change mindset, through good books.

It has set up a reading room at Wormwood Scrubs (including children’s books for incarcerated fathers to read to their children over the phone).

Books in the Nick is project for people waiting up to 48 hours in custody. This came about after a London Special Constable gave his own book to a young man brought in at Brixton. And found an immediate positive reaction.

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