Love books? Join the library
Love books? Can’t live without a good novel beside your bed? Addicted to biographies? Prefer browsing through cook books to cooking itself?
Don’t feel you always have to buy brand spanking new. Sometimes you could borrow it instead – if you’ve joined your local library. It’s free. You can borrow up to sixteen books at a time, and you can have them for up to three weeks. If you borrow a book you fall in love with and just can’t be without, THEN go and buy it new.
It’s so high-tech these days that you can even go to your local library’s website and renew your books online. If your library doesn’t have the book you’re after, you can order pretty much ANY book that is in print – this will set you back a whole 80 pennies. (Children may request up to 6 books at any time free of charge!)
These details will vary from county to county, but on the whole they are fairly similar across libraries in the UK.
You can also have use of a computer (with internet) for free in your local library.
For a small charge you can hire out videos, DVDs, music CDs, talking books and computer games.
Some libraries also run reading groups (or support local reading groups, and can give you information about them). Or how about starting your own?! The more you use your library, the better you’ll make the library service for those in your community.
As one Generous member who suggested this action puts it, ‘Many public libraries were supported by philanthropist Andrew Carnegie. Once books were available to the privileged few. Now every town and city has free public libraries offering more printed and electronic resources than any of us could hope to own. Sadly, the percentage of the population using libraries is falling. Instead of buying lots of books and then having to find ethical ways of getting rid of them, get into the borrowing habit, widen your horizons and save libraries for the future.’
Sign up today… or dig out your old library card, dust it off, apologise for neglecting it, and put it back into action.
Join the fray by signing in.
Godalming, GB , 05 Jul 2006
The above information will vary across the country. Here in Surrey, for instance, you can only borrow 9 books at a time, with separate allowances for audiovisual materials, but an overall total of items.
We charge 90p per adult book ordered from another library in the county and 20p for a children’s book. If the book is not in stock within the county it will cost you more, I think £1.50 per book requested, and this can only be done for non-fiction books as far as I know.
I have been pleasantly surprised to find books in stock, which I hadn’t expected to be, and it often takes only a few days for the book to be sent from the other library.
However, if a book is in demand, such as the latest best seller, it there could be a long waiting list, and libraries don’t always get them in the moment they are published.
If you haven’t been down to your library recently go and have a browse and see what they have in stock and be generous to the library assistants too – put books back where you found them, which should be in alphabetical order according to authors surname for fiction, and for non-fiction, in numerical order according to the number on the spine label under the letters which signify the category, e.g. WOR (world) for travel, geography and history, or BIO for biography etc.
Please note: libraries can get busy, so avoid frustration by giving yourself more than five minutes to achieve your purpose. Also check out opening and closing times before you go – don’t dash in 2 minutes before closing unless you just want to drop books off.
If you want to use the computers they may not be on the whole time the library is open. For example ours come on half an hour after we open and shut down half an hour before we close.
Most libraries have at least one late night opening and may well be open for some time at the weekend.
If you want to join the library make sure you have your driving licence with you or otherwise a bankers card or passport with a utiliies bill (i.e. proof of identity and proof of address).
Sheffield, GB , 05 Jul 2006
we go to the library most wednesday it is a fantastic venue to meet up with people and share what books we are reading + they have story time for louis.
Newark, GB , 05 Jul 2006
Have just left Lincolnshire – loads of lovely libraries and web reservations for books only cost 15p! Now in Nottinghamshire – where I’ve been able to join the library online! My library card is being posted to me and off I go!
taunton, GB , 05 Jul 2006
Thanks for that info Karin… I’d meant to check my facts with you before submitting this action to the site, but forgot! At least I got the gist of things right – phew! The info is correct for Somerset libraries, who are clearly a bit more generous than elsewhere!
I am a big fan of my library. I like it that if I get to go to Taunton (nearest big town) I can get books out there from their big library, and then return them to my local (small) library, rather than having to take a long trip back to Taunton. I’m not sure people realise this sort of thing!
Our local library also sells old books off really cheaply, and I buy some now and then… thus my bookshelves still fill up, despite rarely buying new books (and don’t ask me how many books i buy from charity shops coz i won’t tell you…!)
taunton, GB , 05 Jul 2006
Thanks for that info Karin… I’d meant to check my facts with you before submitting this action to the site, but forgot! At least I got the gist of things right – phew! The info is correct for Somerset libraries, who are clearly a bit more generous than elsewhere!
I am a big fan of my library. I like it that if I get to go to Taunton (nearest big town) I can get books out there from their big library, and then return them to my local (small) library, rather than having to take a long trip back to Taunton. I’m not sure people realise this sort of thing!
Our local library also sells old books off really cheaply, and I buy some now and then… thus my bookshelves still fill up, despite rarely buying new books (and don’t ask me how many books i buy from charity shops coz i won’t tell you…!)
05 Jul 2006
Done this for years and I love my library. MrF and I go most weeks and always try and use the mobile library when it comes to the village.
Use your libraries or they will get shut down.
06 Jul 2006
This is an easy one. Our library is great and I use it all the time. My children have been brought up using the library and my daughter uses the local library where she lives too.
Use these facilities as much as you can to avoid losing the service.
Norwich, GB , 02 Aug 2006
Libraries are fab particularly my local in the Forum in Norwich. Up until recently the library was my only way of accessing the internet…for free :o) Also borrowing cds from the library is a great way of listening to stuff you may never buy but still have an interest in.
I also recommend bookcrossing.com I am an enthusiastic new convert since discovering my first bookcrossing book in May. Not about libraries I know but a very generous principle about books and a guaranteed way to free up some shelf space! See the website for more details.
15 Aug 2006
I recommend using the internet library service, it’s so easy to request and renew books. I’ve always liked having books on the shelves but realistically how many times do you read most books? Like everything else think very carefully before buying and if a book is so good that you really want to buy it, share it with your friends so they can enjoy it too.
20 Aug 2006
I love the library, I used to think that it was because I am too stingy to buy books that I will only read once, but now I think that I am just being economical.
Here in Essex I can search the catalog and request books to be sent to my local library for me to collect, all from the comfort of my own home computer.
My 2 year old daughter has also been a member of the library since she was around 2 months old and has had all manner of free books, activities and certificates. She loves going to the library to change her books.
21 Aug 2006
I’ve really got back into going to the library since the arrival of our children as it’s a great place for an outing. And since I’ve discovered that I can order any non-fiction or children’s book for free over the internet (this is in Cambridge), I’ve been hooked. Moreover, our local library has recently introduced a bin for recycling your old printer cartridges, so that’s another generous action taken care of!
Amersham, GB , 01 Sep 2006
Our family makes regular trips to the library as my son gets through an astonishing number of books each weeek. I am always grateful that the library is there, and the friendly staff have really encouraged his reading.
Recently, however, the library came to my aid in my hour of need. Faced with the task of making my own vegan wedding cake (a story in itself…) I headed to my local library and came home with a stack of books containing all the information I needed to complete the task. Brilliant! The cake was good too…
09 Sep 2006
Joined but trips are few and far between to our public library. W uses one through work however.
Penzance, GB , 12 Oct 2006
Someone said to me that they thought the library didn’t have a good selection of the sort of books they’d want, like new books on environmental, trade and ethical issues. I said that I had borrowed several books like that, and that if more of us did, the library managers would know there was demand for this sort of reading, and expand the range.
13 Oct 2006
My Dad owns a struggling independent bookshop – I don’t think he’d feel this action was all that generous. So if you crack and need to buy books please support small local shops rather than Waterstones and Borders. The life time of expertise behind the counter comes free!
Loughborough, GB , 06 Nov 2006
My local library is pants. For a central town library its selection is very poor, and then half of it is in Asian languages because that is the local demographic.
But I do check their online catalogue, in the hope that they’ll have what I want, especially for my studies. (Unfortunately inter-library loans always take too long to be useful).
I also borrow lots from friends and family, which counts as library to me, and loan our books to others.
Welling, GB , 26 Nov 2006
I’ve always been a member of my local library – just love books! In fact I have to confess that I do have shelfs full of books (years of collecting) but I do share them out with friends and family, and often read many of them again and again. I also buy from charity shops or put books I really want on my birthday list rather than buying them myself, and I borrow from friends and family. My local library runs a reading group which I go along to, and that’s really good as it encourages me to read books that I might not otherwise read.
New York City, US , 29 Nov 2006
Fortunately for me, the New York Library has an incredible collection and a great online search and reservation system.
I typically build a wishlist in amazon and reserve the book at the library when I have time to read the book I’m looking for.
They have a good selection of audiobooks and DVDs too.
04 Jan 2007
I already have a libray card that I have hardly used!
I’ve been buying books (along with all kinds of materialism!)that I really hope to STOP this year!
So I’ve found my card today, put it back into my purse and I plan to be borrowing a LOT more now.
Cambridge, GB , 08 Feb 2007
We’re battling at the moment in our village, to keep our mobile library. The more people use libraries, the more likely they are to stay open. It’s a vital service in our village – especially for those who don’t drive and already feel isolated – it’s not just for borrowing books, but a good place for a natter (I know we’re meant to be quiet in libraries – doesn’t work here though!...) All the librarians we’ve had have been SO helpful in finding books for me, and recommending new authors. Be honest – how many of the books that you’ve bought have you actually read more than once or twice? Use your library and save trees…...
Reading, GB , 15 Feb 2007
I think hard before buying a book… generally anything I want to read will only be useful for a short time, and not something I will want to read again or refer back to. This is where libraries are just amazing- we have a small one just round the corner and it nearly always has something I want to read. The only problem is the short opening hours, I sometimes get caught out with returning books late and paying a fine – which makes this uneconomical at times!
02 May 2007
We recently saved our library from being shut by the local council, and we are now running a friends of the library group. It has made me value what we have even more and i am using the library much more now. Not just for borrowing books, we are using the meeting room there too, and going to story groups for the kids, and a reading group for me.
Kingston upon Thames, GB , 03 Aug 2007
Our local libraries are fantastic – the children’s library (in its own building) is incredible. My 2 year old has been a member since not long after he was born and he adores choosing his books. I use the library for travel books, cookery and the occasional novel.
24 Sep 2007
Hi. This is our second action. We used to live in a small village, supplied by a weekly MOBILE LIBRARY. If you can, please do support these services. They are crucial for the elderly and for rural schools. And, it’s surprising what they will get for you – I did a theology course and provided them with my book list at the start of the module and they managed to get most, plus extras they thought I might like!