Do you use your local library? If not why not?

[Ulysees]

We're lucky enough to have a good library in our village. It's open Thursday to Saturday.

I use it pretty regularly. Order books online usually.

I rang today as a book I want isn't available and the librarian said she'll request the library buy it in. It's the Julia Child book My life in France. So there won't just be me borrowing it.

I do buy books too. I just think it's a shame more don't use their library. They'll be gone one day.

I used to but ours has been closed since last September due to RAAC in the building. There's talk of finding a temporary home but nothing has been announced so far!

Use it all the time and it’s the most wonderful resource. Amazing staff, so helpful and knowledgeable.

Yes, frequently. Currently have 5 books on loan. I don't have much time to browse these days, but reserve what I want online and either collect them in my lunchbreak, after work (they are open until 6pm some days) or on a Saturday morning.

Ours seems to only be open at times that suit non working people. Why can't they close on a Wednesday and open at the weekend so that those of us with jobs can use them? I only use Borrowbox nowadays.

I use mainly their online services as their hours do not really work with my work times. However I do call in when I am on leave etc.

The staff our library are so lovely and helpful and go way beyond what they are paid to do particularly with people who now have to access services online where they haven't the knowledge how to do so.

My local small library is open at odd times which are published but includes, morning, afternoon, all day and one evening until 7.

I use mine. Saves me a fortune. Especially on kids books.

The library I use has shorter loan periods for new books (and no renewals allowed for them). Only paperbacks though for some reason. Hardbacks go in the general stock.

Yes ours has one week loans for the most popular new releases. Great for Marian Keyes, less useful for the new Salman Rushdie or Babel.

@Cherrypi I guess they evaluate the area.

I'm in one of the top 20 most deprived local authorities in the country, and people here would (could) not pay and therefore the libraries would most definitely decline.

The library service is actually brilliant here and probably the best thing the council provide for those that use it.

I have just rejoined. Although the wait for online orders can be long, I have so much to read at home as well. I use the library to not buy new books I would only read once anyway. Just loving it.
We also have short loans on popular books, but so far that hasn't been a problem.

I would love to be able to hold a book but my hands don't work properly and a kindle is much more comfortable for me . If I could would love to use my local village library.

Yes, I have several libraries near me and I am a member of all of them!

At the moment, yes, but only because I now work close to my nearest one and have a late start once a week, so it's easy to go up ten minutes early and pop in. Over the last 20 years, since I've lived here, I've mainly not used it though. It's 20 miles away and I've only recently got my licence, so it's been too hard to get to. Even when I lived within walking distance for a few months I rarely went as its opening hours were so difficult.

There have been periods when I've used other ones, the large one 40 miles away when I went weekly to the gym next door, and the mobile one when studying and it stopped outside the college.

It was mainly due to my dd that I rediscovered them. A need for a clean loo led me to the large one on a day out and she had a lovely time there, looking at books and playing hide and seek. We've been back since, and to the small one, and she's welcome with open arms at both. Plus, since Covid, late fines have been abolished, so even when I couldn't easily get to one I knew I was fine to borrow.

Yes I do - some branches have been chopped so I try to visit weekly.

Yes I do. They are fab. I get large print books, e books and audio books ! Love our local library - the staff are so helpful!

Yes, I use it. They don't always have what I want, though, especially recent releases, so I sometimes make a request at my local library but access the same title elsewhere in the meantime. They're brilliant, though, for older books!

@Mazuslongtoenail I'm the same as I have early onset cataracts(waiting on op) . Our local library have a good selection on the Borrowbox app that you can download on a tablet or smart phone or maybe an IPhone (I don't know about IPhones), so I increase the size of print with that.Also they have an online catalogue of large print and audio books that you can search with the apps. I have managed to get quite a few of the newish ones to read this way. Not had to wait long to read them. Also they will look outside your County for a book on Borrowbox for you in you request it !

I'm not in the UK, but yes, I use our local library often. However it is closed until next Monday, when it will re-open in a shiny new building. Looking forward to exploring it next week - even though I will have to walk an extra block to get there! It's open seven days a week, and will be open longer on weekend days than it was previously.

Shout out to the Forum in Norwich, where the main library is housed. Provides lots of other services as well - Citizen's Advice, council etc. Lots of choice and easy to reserve books. The problem with the villages is that, if the libraries are still open, they're open at strange hours, and I always miss them. Also, this time of year, the charity shops are good for books, as people are getting rid of unwanted Christmas presents !

I would like to - we used to go every Saturday when I was a child - but I don't. Now that Amazon is available I buy second hand books several times a week (usually for my son - to be read aloud, to read himself, or for projects - but sometimes for me) and this is far more convenient than having to physically take him into the expensive/busy town centre or the next village, and then having the multiple commitments of reading exactly those books next, finishing them by a deadline, (not losing them mixed up with all our books) and being already committed to another in-person trip to take them back on a weekend day.

I love my local library it’s open 4 days a week and when I did the school run I walked past it so very convenient too.

more importantly though the staff that work there are so helpful and welcoming and they have introduced this new app so if I see a book in a shop that I fancy reading but don’t want to buy or not entirely sure I’d like you can scan the barcode and order it from the library. I’ve read books that I probably never would have and if I’m not enjoying a book from the library I won’t finish it as I didn’t buy it.

They have tea and coffee and I love nothing better than going on a Tuesday morning and sitting and reading my book with a cup of tea in such a warm, welcoming and peaceful environment.

They have lots of groups for all ages and do a lot for the local community. I did a couple of free courses there last year which helped me apply for a job which I got too.

I used to use the larger town centre library when I worked part time and it was 5 mins walk away from the children’s school. Also if I wanted to reserve a book from another branch then I could use DD’s child ticket to reserve it for free. It opens 8.30am - 6pm in the week and until 4pm on Saturdays.

now I work full time and I only go that town every few months my local small branch library only opens until 5pm and I don’t usually get home until around 5.30pm. Plus it only has a very small stock.

I used to use the library a lot, but not any more.
This is because:
a) my (very) local one is really small with very limited opening hours that I can't get to on a workday, and actually has a very limited choice of books
b) I also can't get to the bigger one that is about 30 mins walk away on a workday, but I could go at the weekend. However I can't manage the walk back with a bag of books because of my back problems, and the local traffic restrictions have made driving conditions appalling. They have also built on the library car park so you can't park easily anymore. There is no bus route there. I might start using it again when I retire and can go at less busy times, or go more often but take out fewer books in one go.
c) a lot of the books I would have borrowed, I don't anymore because you can get all the info on the internet - eg "how to .." make/paint/sew/plant/cook.

Meanwhile, I occasionally use Borrowbox ( although it's not much fun trying to browse on there) or download onto Kindle when I see something cheap/free, and share books with friends.

We have a rand new library in the city centre. I happened to pass by it yesterday. And was surprised to see it was busy. So I went it. It was brilliant. Comfy chairs to sit and read, a nice cafe. I renewed my membership and took some books out and reserved another that I was going to download on my kindle. I'll be a regular visitor now.