Libraries. Are you a member?

We have a good library a mile and a half away but I don't use it. Our house has so many books I never use the library and I read anything current on line.

Well, I live in Denmark where anyone who pays Income tax in this country is automatically a member of the public state-funded libraries.

Apart from that, I have a reader's card for the Royal Library, which being a research library, as well as the National library requires you to be registered with them if you want to use the reading-rooms and I imagine as a post-graduate of the University of Copenhagen they are not likely to turf me out of their libraries either.

I too used to work in a library in my first career before I became an academic. Libraries have changed out of all recognition since I worked in them. Local authorities have taken a short sighted view of them as something that needs to be "monetized" rather than a public service. Now they are mainly staffed by volunteers because councils dont have the money to pay qualified staff.

Our library is a couple of villages over. I am a member but I gave up going because they kept changing the hours, I'd drive over expecting it to be open and find it closed when I got there, and they never updated the hours on the website, just stuck a note on the door.

In the end I gave up and paid for a Kindle subscription. I downloaded the app to my tablet.
I've found some great book series by authors I've never heard of, all for less than a tenner a month.

Yes a member of my library! Also use their digital book service as well as hard copies

Wonderful library service here. Free access to PressReader, so can read newspapers and magazines from all over the world every day ( except The Times or The Sun in uk). Have a look to see if your library has signed up. We have BorrowBox with e-books and audiobooks too. Free reservations are a boon as I see what’s coming on “Fantastic Fiction” website and get my name first on the list for all books about to be published. Three cheers for Libraries and librarians!

Good libraries here - we use them for books and toddler activities. All C and GC are library users too. When GC are here we make an outing of it, going by bike and having a snack at the cafe while we're there.
Use it or lose it as they say!

Yes, always been a member of the local library wherever we have lived. Started using Libby in lockdown, not a great fan - doesn’t do my eyesight any good - but find it useful for the books required by my bookgroup, invariably murder mysteries and the elk and which I refuse to buy! Unfortunately not able to get to the local library currently due to mobility issues but I do miss it so ……

We are moving house this week and I thoroughly intend joining the library as soon as possible. I have belonged to libraries my whole life, starting with the mobile library that visited our village when I was small.

I've belonged to a library in various places I've lived since I was a very small child. I absolutely love books and my library was marvellous during the lockdowns and phoned me to ask which were my favourite authors and drove over to deliver 6 books to me to keep me going (I used to run a book group at the library so they know me well.)

Like TerriBull some of my earliest and very warm memories are of being taken to the library by my Mum and being allowed to choose some books.

Fabulous library where I live. It has a cafe, lots of clubs, free films, live music events and public talks... student study areas, a childrens space... as well as lovely staff and a wonderful range of books.. I feel very blessed

As a retired school librarian, I bang the drum for all libraries!!!!!
We take our grandson to activities in our local library, are both members, so order books from them. We also visit the library in our nearest City, soon to be replaced with a fab new library attached to the new University. I also have both Libby and Borrowbox for books on-line. Libby is so great for on-line magazines, and I love Borrowbox too - although it's definitely a victim of its own success inasmuch that many downloads are not immediately available. I think even this philistine Government realise the libraries are sacrosanct and leave them alone. Our grandson also calls Waterstones 'the library'!!!!

I have just started to use it after many years of not. I have a kindle which I prefer, however, I am conscious of if something is not used it will close and there are others that rely on it.

yes I joined the public library many years ago first in London as a child and then on wherever we lived. I use current one frequently as I pass it every day to go to town..

Most definitely. Really lovely small village library and a much larger one in our town a couple of miles away, I use them both. I often order a book or two. Some of my earliest memories are of visiting the library and choosing my own books. Wonderful places

I'm a volunteer at my local library and I love it. For several years volunteered at an adult education centre helping adults with literacy problems.Then work took over and sadly the centre closed.It's totally different from my job before retirement and I've not read as much in years.I also take the DGC to swap their books as their parents are so busy but we're keen to foster a love of reading. Harder today with ipads and other technical distractions!

Yes, I use the local one regularly, they were brilliant during Covid restrictions too, I was very grateful.

I'm a member of our local library but mostly borrow e books to listen to when on walks. I'm doing several talks in libraries too. They try so hard to engage local people. They're wonderful resources.

Excellent libraries here and we use them a lot

We have a very good library service county-wide which I make good use of but my nearest libraries are tiny, more like hubs really and they provide other community services so can’t complain.

Having a good library has always been high on my essentials list, I can’t imagine not having access to one, life would have been so dreary.

I live in a rural area so we have a mobile library. The choice of books on the van is often abysmal but I use it in order to keep it going.

I'm also a member of the Lit and Phil in Newcastle - a private, brilliant and characterful library.

I am a member of two libraries, and, when working, my office was in a library. Nowadays it’s mostly online borrowing for me. My grandchildren use libraries, their parents not so much.

Yes, we have a good library, I am a member and used to use it regularly and always took the children & GC, especially in the school holidays.

Now I tend to pick books up in the numerous charity shops we have or at table top sales and I also swap books with friends so don’t use the library as often. I have accumulated far too many books though so borrowing more from the library instead of buying them would be a good solution. I must try and use it more often.

Oh yes, I regularly use the library. We have a very good reserve system.

I go to my library monthly at least to return books I’ve read I search around for books I’d like to read then see if I can reserve them in My Library app. It’s really useful to see what’s available.