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  Findon Valley Library

  by Pattie Shaw , 12 months ago
  When the Findon Valley library was built and opened (date unknown, 1960s?), I was a teenager and I used to go there frequently and sit reading or browsing for hours. It was peaceful, the staff were always welcoming, friendly and helpful. I felt so happy to be there and I loved books and still do.

  When the Findon Valley library was built and opened (date unknown, 1960s?), I was a teenager and I used to go there frequently and sit reading or browsing for hours. It was peaceful, the staff were always welcoming, friendly and helpful. I felt so happy to be there and I loved books and still do.
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  Reading newspapers in Littlehampton Library

  by Chisledon, 12 months ago

  In the 1960s I went to school in Littlehampton. At that time Littlehampton Library had a reading room with a quiet studious atmosphere and lots of wood. It felt like a privilege to be allowed in. There were racks with newspapers each hung on a rod. One took out the selected newspaper and carried it to a table to read. I thought that it was great to be able to read any paper one wanted to. Reading through those available I was able to decide which one I enjoyed. My parents took the Daily Mail, so that was out... Continue reading

  In the 1960s I went to school in Littlehampton. At that time Littlehampton Library had a reading room with a quiet studious atmosphere and lots of wood. It felt like a privilege to be allowed in. There were racks with newspapers each hung on a rod. One took out the selected newspaper and carried it to a table to read. I thought that it was great to be able to read any paper one wanted to. Reading through those available I was able to decide which one I enjoyed. My parents took the Daily Mail, so that was out of course. The Times was boring for a teenager, with things like stock prices, birth, marriage and death notices and court circulars. (The latter were dull announcements about the Royal Family). The Daily Telegraph was too right wing. So I settled on The Guardian and have read it ever since, but now on my phone! Thank you West Sussex Library Service and Littlehampton Library.
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  1960s experiences of the Library service in Crawley

  by BrianP, about 1 year ago
  My very first experience is being taken to Crawley Library was with my father in 1961-2. If I recall correctly it was in a large, anonymous government stone building on a mound just at the junction of what is now Haslett Avenue and the High Street on the same side as the old Crawley station by the level-crossing. It was not conducive to a kid looking for some reading matter

  
  

  Not long after we went to the brand new library on Northgate Avenue with the children's section in the light and airy round building. I remember being given small hexagonal... Continue reading

  My very first experience is being taken to Crawley Library was with my father in 1961-2. If I recall correctly it was in a large, anonymous government stone building on a mound just at the junction of what is now Haslett Avenue and the High Street on the same side as the old Crawley station by the level-crossing. It was not conducive to a kid looking for some reading matter

  
  

  Not long after we went to the brand new library on Northgate Avenue with the children's section in the light and airy round building. I remember being given small hexagonal yellow plastic tokens probably for borrowing books.

  
  

  
  

  
  
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  A second generation librarian

  by Hilary, about 1 year ago

  Both of my parents worked in libraries, so you could say that they are in my blood. I suppose it was inevitable that I should choose librarianship as my career path too.

  Growing up, I was a regular at Saturday morning storytime in our local branch library in the Brighton area for many years. I think they had to keep increasing the target age range so that I could continue to attend. Afterwards I enjoyed choosing which books I would take home to read over the coming week and it was a big moment when I "graduated" from picture books... Continue reading

  Both of my parents worked in libraries, so you could say that they are in my blood. I suppose it was inevitable that I should choose librarianship as my career path too.

  Growing up, I was a regular at Saturday morning storytime in our local branch library in the Brighton area for many years. I think they had to keep increasing the target age range so that I could continue to attend. Afterwards I enjoyed choosing which books I would take home to read over the coming week and it was a big moment when I "graduated" from picture books chosen from the low lying kinderboxes to chapter books from the regular shelves.

  Ten years later I secured a job as a Saturday assistant in that same branch. It was a bit like coming home.
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  The gambling man

  by Maureen Saunders , about 1 year ago

  by Catherine Cookson . I’m now 75 years old and when I was 35 i had a young family ( hardly time to read ) but I used to go to our local library in wallington to get books for my mum . She was completely deaf but loved to read books by Catherine Cookson . Of course I had to read the inside cover to see if I had got it out before , and that of course was the start of my journey into reading . Since then I have for my own pleasure read most of her... Continue reading

  by Catherine Cookson . I’m now 75 years old and when I was 35 i had a young family ( hardly time to read ) but I used to go to our local library in wallington to get books for my mum . She was completely deaf but loved to read books by Catherine Cookson . Of course I had to read the inside cover to see if I had got it out before , and that of course was the start of my journey into reading . Since then I have for my own pleasure read most of her work too .without the library I would never have known the enjoyment of reading .
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  My life in libraries

  by Kath S, about 1 year ago

  The photo of the member of staff flicking through the card catalogue brought back so many memories. I have been a library user for more than 50 years, starting out with those thrilling voyages of exploration in the children’s library at Doncaster public library as a child (books and rhyme & song – what is this place of wonder?). I then moved up to the adult library, wrestling with those card catalogues to help with my homework, and then my first Saturday job as a library assistant at 16. I was further delighted to encounter my first ‘OPAC’ machine at... Continue reading

  The photo of the member of staff flicking through the card catalogue brought back so many memories. I have been a library user for more than 50 years, starting out with those thrilling voyages of exploration in the children’s library at Doncaster public library as a child (books and rhyme & song – what is this place of wonder?). I then moved up to the adult library, wrestling with those card catalogues to help with my homework, and then my first Saturday job as a library assistant at 16. I was further delighted to encounter my first ‘OPAC’ machine at university in 1984, and there has been no looking back…

  I have used public libraries in East Sussex and West Sussex ever since leaving home, alongside studying, then working as a library assistant and finally becoming a fully-fledged qualified librarian in the mid-1990s. Whilst my career has been almost exclusively in college and university libraries, my love of public libraries - and how they made me feel - has stayed with me throughout.

  My favourite library experience is following the submission of the last piece of work for my degree, when I was thoroughly sick and tired of reading academic textbooks. I spent the entirety of that summer working my way through as many 19^th century novels as I could get my hands on at Brighton public library – novels that I hadn’t read for A-level English, novels that I felt ought to have read, novels that I simply didn’t have the time to read whilst studying. Oh, and applying for library jobs….
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  Books and cakes

  by Veeat23 , about 1 year ago
  When I was 10 the pretty little library at the Mulberry in Goring by Sea was built. Every Saturday morning would find me there for a couple of hours then across the road to the bakers to spend my pocket money on four of yesterday's cakes for 1/- or perhaps to a jumble sale in the nearby St Mary's church hall (where I was married and held my reception nine years later). Although I'm not at all musical I remember particularly liking a series of books on the lives of famous composers with music printed on every other page.

  
  

  When I was 10 the pretty little library at the Mulberry in Goring by Sea was built. Every Saturday morning would find me there for a couple of hours then across the road to the bakers to spend my pocket money on four of yesterday's cakes for 1/- or perhaps to a jumble sale in the nearby St Mary's church hall (where I was married and held my reception nine years later). Although I'm not at all musical I remember particularly liking a series of books on the lives of famous composers with music printed on every other page.

  
  
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  Libaray Tickets

  by JL Pniewski, about 1 year ago
  I remember going to Bognor Library in the 1970's with my Mum. We had flexible orange Tickets that were fed into a slot on the desk whenever we borrowed or returned a book. These tickets contained holes punched in that the computer would read. It will have been my first interaction with a computer and today I still wonder what sort of huge machine was behind the scenes.

  I remember going to Bognor Library in the 1970's with my Mum. We had flexible orange Tickets that were fed into a slot on the desk whenever we borrowed or returned a book. These tickets contained holes punched in that the computer would read. It will have been my first interaction with a computer and today I still wonder what sort of huge machine was behind the scenes.
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  Unlocking the world of classical music

  by Charles, about 1 year ago
  My earliest memory of Chichester library was over fifty years ago. As a school boy I wanted to develop an interest in classical music and remarkably the library introduced a lending service for classical LPs. There was a sizeable collection of LPs on display and after you had made your choice a helpful and knowledgeable librarian packaged your LP in a specially designed cardboard box. You could then take it home. There was no limit on the number of times you could use the service provided you did not take out more than two records at a time. It was... Continue reading

  My earliest memory of Chichester library was over fifty years ago. As a school boy I wanted to develop an interest in classical music and remarkably the library introduced a lending service for classical LPs. There was a sizeable collection of LPs on display and after you had made your choice a helpful and knowledgeable librarian packaged your LP in a specially designed cardboard box. You could then take it home. There was no limit on the number of times you could use the service provided you did not take out more than two records at a time. It was a brilliant idea and for me stimulated a life long interest in music.
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  The joy of libraries

  by JanH, about 1 year ago
  In the 1960s we moved to the Strand in Worthing - I was 3 and Mum took us to the library at Field Place. I can still remember the joy I felt at being able to take a book home. It was Orlando the Marmalade Cat. This love for books and reading has been with me all my life.

  In the 1960s we moved to the Strand in Worthing - I was 3 and Mum took us to the library at Field Place. I can still remember the joy I felt at being able to take a book home. It was Orlando the Marmalade Cat. This love for books and reading has been with me all my life.