Sunderland Library

We went to visit Sunderland Central Library as I wasn't sure where it was. I thought it was still in the same building as the museum but it isn't, it's just up the main street.



The building is fine but ordinary. There are some very colourful windows on the way up the stairs and some good displays.






There is a very good media section with lots of DVDs CDs etc - an excellent selection.



The main book collection is very extensive, I was surprised at how many books there were.






A wide range of different languages and cultures are catered for.


There is an interesting Dickens display



It is a great, well resourced library but I couldn't get the feel of the place, I just couldn't pick up the vibes.

Billingham Libraries

I decided to go to the library in Billingham as I hadn't been before. Although Billingham is close to where I live it is not in County Durham as we are but in Stockton-on-Tees. I often pass the library on the roundabout but I didn't think that was the main one as the sign outside says Roseberry Library. So I looked up other libraries in Stockton / Billingham and found that Billingham library is Bedale Avenue. It is on a housing estate and the building houses other priority services.

It is a interesting brick building - 1940's? and inside was really great. There are wooden book shelves, old radiators and large windows and it feels very appealing and welcoming. The feel of the place is colourful and lots of books arranged in ways that draw you in. A good fiction selection and smaller displays of new books, books for good reads and book clubs etc.. There was information about events and initiatives eg World Book Night.

There was a children's section and a small computer section. The library was busy with children and adults. The staff were brilliant and very helpful and supportive to users. They were friendly and very efficient. I decided to join the library and the librarian was very informative and explained what I needed to know - I was impressed.

(the only thing was that I felt a bit guilty as I think it must be obvious that I'm looking round with a purpose - I try to take photos surreptitiously but I think I'm going to have to explain in future as I don't want librarians/library assistants to think I'm inspecting them).

Next I went to Roseberry Library which is on the main road roundabout coming into the town. Billingham is a typical concrete car park & shopping centre but is quite alright. They have nice flower displays. The library has a good fiction selection and non fiction and books about local history etc. There is a reference section accessed by a spiral staircase. Wooden bookshelves again, great posters and displays. Staff friendly.

I liked the retro feel of the place and I think that councils should promote and use that to attract different sectors of the community. They are great buildings and there is a demand for retro furniture and items such as records from the 50's and 60's. It would be a good venue for a party.



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Whitby Library - almost

On Wednesday we went to Robin Hoods Bay and then onto Whitby. It was a sunny but really cold day. We got there at 2.15pm and went to find the library but it had closed at 2.00pm. It is sort of tucked away along from the station and in an uninspiring building. Whitby's a bit like that , it has a beautiful harbour and the Abbey is awesome but the buildings are a mixture of grand victorian and more modern hotchpotch. It is a busy town and the library deserves a better building and a more exciting place.
Next time I'll try to get there to have a good look round inside.









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Saltburn Library

Saltburn is a small seaside town on the North Yorkshire coast. We visit it quite often and it is definitely 'on the up' compared to 10 years ago I think - there are some nice tea rooms and shops now as well as a beautiful beach.
Last time we went to Saltburn it was a misty murky day and there was an exhibition of knitting on the pier (actually on the rails of the pier) It is still there so worth going to see - it is knitted figures of the Olympics, competitors and events.
The library is up in the town and is a small modernish building



(incidentally next to a nice old building)



There were some knitting exhibits on the railings outside to do with books






Inside the library is small and nearly all fiction. There is a good selection but not extensive. There is a childrens section which leads to a space outside at the back The building also includes the tourist information.

Book Club Update

Last month we read Catch 22 and Pigeon English for our book club reads. Well actually I didn't get round to reading all of Catch 22 but have brought it home from work to read over the holidays. Most people in Book Club didn't read it all because it didn't appeal as much as we thought it would, and interestingly people who had read it before e.g. as teenagers or in 20s didn't find it as appealing now. We have found this with some books and I think it is because our expectations are higher as we get older i.e. more fussy, less time and also because there is a great choice of books available so reluctant to spend time on non enjoyable reads. We all read Pigeon English and enjoyed it although didn't think it was absolutely fantastic. There is a difficulty with an adult writing as a child as sometimes it doesn't ring true. I wish it hadn't been so closely related to the real life happening as that made it difficult to consider. I really liked the relationship between the main character and his sisters and with his friends - that was the best and most interesting part. I wanted to read more about them and how they interacted. The more I've thought about the book the more I've liked it - the characters have stayed with me but I would have liked those characters in a different story line......



This month we are reading The Flamboya Tree: Memories of a Family's War Time Courage by
Clara Olink Kelly. I haven't started it yet but have a copy to read over the holidays and am looking forward to it.



We are also reading The Warden by Anthony Trollope. This was my suggestion as I have been meaning to read Barchester Towers for ages and didn't know that The Warden was the prologue to it so we are reading that. I've started to read it on my Kindle and it is a little dull. I'm hoping it will improve otherwise there will be complaints at the next meeting :))



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Newnham College Cambridge Library

A quick look round the library at Newnham College.
It is a really beautiful library, a brilliant mixture of new and old buildings that works perfectly. It would be an ideal place to study and while a way the hours. It didn't feel fusty like some academic libraries but was quiet and peaceful and very nice indeed.

More Cambridge Libraries - Central Library

Yet another visit to Cambridge -to pick up Joe (and all his stuff) for the Easter holidays. The nice part was that my friend Kate was going to Cambridge too to pick up her daughter Charlotte so we decided to have an extra day there.
Kate is not keen on visiting libraries which is fine so it meant that I had to use some shopping time for a quick visit to Cambridge Central Library. It is in the main shopping centre, conveniently between John Lewis and the Apple Store.

It was very busy even for a Saturday afternoon in a busy city. The children's library was packed out with lots of conscientious dads reading stories out loud to their kids.
There were many DVDs.

There were many people on task - working on computers or sat at tables doing work or reading. The book collection was excellent and I wish that I had had longer to look round. It is obviously a very vibrant and successful library - but so it should be - the environment and users are all conducive to it being so.

I noticed a sign above the enquiry desk - it said 'Help' rather than 'Enquiries'. I asked if I could take a photo of it and whether it deliberately said Help. The two library assistants said they hadn't really noticed but assumed it was to be more appealing and more approachable.
They were helpful and approachable. As I went I heard them say it could be Help with a ! as in a plea for help - witty library assistants too.