Emma Read on her love of libraries
We are delighted to share a guest blog from author Emma Read about her love of libraries. Many of our readers have a vested interest in libraries and reading so this will be a joyous blog to read.
Author Emma Read on her love of libraries
I’ve always loved a library. Growing up in the eighties, for me, only the most special books were bought and gifted, everything else I read was on loan. Going to the library was as ordinary as a visit to the sweet shop, as necessary as going to school, it was just something we did. The ‘we’ being my whole family. My elder siblings would head to the romance or horror sections, my dad to historical non-fiction and I would make myself comfy on a bean bag in Children’s off on an adventure. Going to the library was a simple fact of life.
According to the BBC, one in eight primary schools doesn’t have a library and, from what I’ve seen during school visits, of those seven that do often it’s a small corner with a couple of bookshelves, and not necessarily anyone with time to attend to it, or encourage its use.
So in that sense, my local primary is lucky – we have a large room, half dedicated to the library and half to the IT suite (it’s an interesting juxtaposition). But for some years it has been neglected. The books are old and tattered (some older than the school itself), there is no budget (either for books or staff) and as a result it has been used less and less during class time.
Fortunately there were enough of us with those fond memories of childhood library visits who wanted to bring the joy back to this library we are so lucky to have. Enough of us who knew the importance of being able to choose a book from a wide selection (not just the usual suspects at the supermarket), who understood that not everyone would be taken to a bookshop to browse or feel confident to choose once there. Enough of us who wanted to take the burden off the already overstretched teachers and give them a place they could bring their classes to, that would be productive, exciting and inspiring.
So, despite the leaking roof, and the lack of money, we gathered together and made a plan – to ensure the library would be open every day after school. To raise money where we could (mostly through selling second hand books) and to refresh the ancient stock by asking for donations. It’s a work in progress but already we are seeing the benefits. We’ve been the beneficiaries of some remarkable acts of bookish generosity and the shelves are looking altogether more appealing. Over the summer our space will get a face lift (again, all through donations) and come September we’ll be inviting children back in to after school reading events and enticing them through the doors with new stock.
And me, I’ll be on a bean bag in the corner, off on another adventure.
The Housetrap by Emma Read is out now in paperback (Chicken House)
Found out more at emmareadauthor.com