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Zoe, UK Book Club Creator
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Aug 15, 2009 08:47AM
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How weird!! I have just joined my local library today. I have decided to save some money. I could have spent hours there but as my step-son didn't take long doing his shopping (buying PS3 games)I was only there for 20 mins. I picked up three books A Quiet Belief in Angels by R J Ellory, A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini and The Gaudi Key A Novel by Esteban Martin. I am really looking forward to starting them.
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You can keep them for three weeks, but you can renew them online which i thought was cool as i am hopeless, always remember at the last minute.
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Great idea Zoe :-), i joined my local library a few months ago and I'm absolutely loving it, it's saved me so much money it's unbelievable and I'm reading much more varied books as it doesn't matter so much if I don't like a book. And you can keep them for three weeks in Cardiff too and all the Cardiff libraries are linked so you can get a book from one and return it to another, which makes life so much easier :-)
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This is such a good idea! I use my library alot and like you Sam am now reading ones I never would have before At my local library you can also reserve books online and then you get an email when its your turn Handy if the book is at another library you can't get to or if its a really popular one - although some do end up with over 20 reservations!
My university libray doesn't do fiction :( which is a shame I might be more enthusiastic about going there if they did!
I live on the border of Somerset and Dorset so have libray tickets from both counties. Last year Wincanton Library in Somerset did a book challenge. They put a few books in brown paper bags with a big sign "We dare You to pick a book". Well I did pick a book and I got Cider With Rosie by Laurie Lee and loved it! It was a book I would never have chosen to read. I think this is a good challenge and as I am in both counties libraries I will try to borrow a book from each. I have just taken back The Blue Hour - a Portrait of Jean Rhys and enjoyed that.
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And Amy, I just had a look at my uni's library online and I don't think it does fiction either.
I also find their website really annoying to search for books, you can't just browse the books either!
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Let me know if A Thousand Splendid Suns is any good, it's on my 'want to read' list...
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That reminds me I've reserved my copy of The Glimmer Palace (known as The Luminous Life of Lilly Aphrodite in the UK - much better name if you ask me...) Must pick it up tomorrow and get reading....
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I really must start borrowing more books - I've signed up to my local library and got myself a temporary card for until I go in and prove my identity.
I have recently been to my local library and picked up 2 bags of books they were selling off for £1 per bag. I got about 15 books in total to add to the 550 I already have in my library at home to read.......think I shall need to live to be at least 130 years old to get through them all!
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I've always been a member of the local library. Even when a kid, I would borrow a book, take it home, then return the next day to exchange it. They wouldn't let you return it the same day.Life is so much easier now. I belong to Eastern Regional Libraries, in Melbourne. It is an umbrella for six libraries and I can go into any of those and return and/or borrow. The best thing is, though, that you can use the internet to order any books from any library in the whole state, they then get delivered to the Library of my choice and it doesn't cost me a penny to do so!
I have an average of 30 books out at any one time, and just drop them off as I read them. The trap is, of course, that once I get there, I just have to check the recent returns and the Holds and seldom leave without at least one book in my bag.
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I have recently started going to my local library too. Idk why I haven't been doing that already. Financially it has been a great help, not to mention space saving.
I always loved the library till I moved house 10 year ago, I now live in a hamlet and we don't have a static library, we have a mobile one that visits every Thursday when I am at work and my nearest static one os over an hours drive, I wish they did a postal service, I would happily pay postage to use the service, has anyone else had this problem?
How frustrating for you! I think alot of people would appreciate a service like this Kim, a bit like Lovefilm but for books instead right? I do use my local library, they do a fairly good job, they haven't had everything I've been looking for but they'll search all other libraries in the county and will order it in for £1.
Exactly like lovefilm, lovebook I think would be a roaring success
There was some talk of that few months back - so you never know it might happen - what a great way to get books!!! I am sure people would happily pay a monthly fee like you do for DVD's.
The library distracts me from reading the books I actually own as well Fiona. Also, I get browsing second hand book stores and see bargains so then have even more books... and then my friends keep lending me books so I feel obliged to read those too - it is a never ending cycle. That's why I never know what I'm going to read next let alone what I might try to read this year or month because it continually evolves according to the above. (I've noticed some people are terribly structured and organised about their to read list!)
Yeah, you never know what books you may be presented with at a reading group do you? I haven't yet signed up to bookmooch or readitswapit but I was thinking I ought to give it a go. I'll admit to finding it hard to part with the books I rate highly (don't mind the throw away type chicklit books, can cope with that) but I think it would be good for me.
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So while my book mountain starts to decrease, my 'to read' list just seems to grow & grow!
Ultimately, it's pretty randomn what I read from week to week; friends have been lending me lots of books (always appreciated) and then there's the book club book every month, plus all these books on GRs...!
You're right Jane, it's great for trying new things or books that you don't necessarily want to invest in.I loved the library when I was a kid/teenanger - my Mum used to drop me off and tell me to be out in 15 mins while she waited in the car (library had tiny carpark about 5 spaces) but I'd be in their for hours so she usually had to come in and drag me out!
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They sent me a reminder that my books were due soon but it was already too late by then as I'm in the wrong county!
I didn't know they were cutting down the hours :(
Well guys, wish me luck, after speaking to people in my village and the neighbouring ones I have a meeting with my local council over our library to see if they would be willing to either look at opening/visiting times so they are more accessable or if they would support and help set up a postal service system (like the LoveFilm thingy). My meeting is on Thursday and I have 4 people coming with me, all different backgrounds and all wanting to make the most of the service by making it more accessable. I have drafted my partition ready and if they say its a case of collecting signatures me and my son will start knocking on doors, won't take long to do the area. I let you all know how it goes.
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Library Update - Just had a call from the council, if I can get enough people to sign up for it they are willing to trial it for 3 months and will reveiw after that, time to go out and get signatures me thinks.Have a telephone conference with them later so will give you the details then.
Sounds like a move in the right direction!
Lets hope it comes off. If we can get it running here, other areas may follow suit.
I've always had a library ticket and alawys used it. Our village library has a good but small selection of books,so to alliviate the bordom our council rotates them with libraries of a similar size. My only gripe is that the libraries in the more afluent areas tend to get the best books and I end up spendng a small fortune in reservation fees.
I'm always up to the limit on my ticket, thats 12 books etc here. I have to pay 60p for a reservation, and fines are 8p per book per day. We also have a shelf scan system for books to check out and back in, which is fine (the library where they offer this service has miserable staff so there's no love lost in the chat and smile department)
I have to put my hand up as someone who not long ago mentioned in another post that I should use my library more often. I used to never be out of it when I was younger and, indeed, used to want to be a librarian when I grew up. Alas, I am not now a librarian. However, I will sign up for the library challenge! Starting Friday, because I have the day off work then.
Good for you Robo. I was the same when I was younger, I either wanted to work in a library or a bookshop (something like a second hand bookshop rather than a big commercial store) but alas it was only a dream that didn't happen.I thought I would update on my challenge to get our council to improve our service, 3 friends and myself managed to collect almost 5000 signatures to present to the council to get them to look at a postal service (for those that don't know we have a mobile library that attends our village once a week when everyone is at work), the biggest surprise wasthat we got the backing of village schools (mine and a few neighbouring ones) so now we are playing the waiting game.
You could also suggest they offer book delivery, where one of the Librarians goes out and delivers door to door, when the mobile lirary is in the village.
I have 10 audios and 1 Slimming World Cookbook to send back and to collect 1 audio and 1 more Cookbook.
Kimberley wrote: "Good for you Robo. I was the same when I was younger, I either wanted to work in a library or a bookshop (something like a second hand bookshop rather than a big commercial store) but alas it was o..."Such is life...I'm the same - although the dream's still there, everytime I walk into a lovely second hand bookshop I sigh and think, "if only".
But on less wistful matters, that's great news that you've got such large numbers, as well as schools, behind your campaign now! I think it sounds like a great idea too
I just hope that they give the scheme a chance.
I've just been to my library to pick up a reservation and donate another 60p the county coffers.
60p is cheaper that my library, they're charging £1 now! I think it should be free if you're requesting a classic book that they're missing since you're doing them a favour in identifying gaping holes in their collection! My library didn't have A Clockwork Orange or Catch-22 - surely they should have that type of book as standard?!
You'd have thought so, mine doesn't have any Anais Nin which I'm really miffed about because I'dve read them years a go if they had.
I visited my library on fri and got two audio books on cd. Unfortunately they were badly scratched and terrible to listen too! I took them back today and they at least waived the charge for the days I had them.Why do folk treat items so badly!
I did get three books that caught my eye. The Gunslinger Born a Stephen King marvel thingy I have been hearing about. A quick read If wishes were Horses by Anne McCaffrey, an author who I have never read, and Daughter of Exile by Isabel Glass also a new author and genre Fantasy Romance.
I have a couple of night shifts this week so will have read at least two of them!
UK Book Club
Books mentioned in this topic
A Clockwork Orange (other topics)Catch-22 (other topics)
The Glimmer Palace (other topics)
A Thousand Splendid Suns (other topics)
A Thousand Splendid Suns (other topics)
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