I Read Therefore I Am discussion

Today the library that I visited as a child, at least once a week and often twice, has closed. The library that I used as a young mother and where my children were introduced to the wonderful world of books in all their variety has closed. These two along with seven other libraries in Sunderland won't be opening again due to the necessity of cutting the councils expenditure. What a sad day for the current and future population of Sunderland. I could weep with frustration!

How very disappointing :( I must admit, when a number of Gloucestershire libraries were closing, I didn't think much of it, because I was not making the time to read. Thanks to Goodreads, I've rediscovered my love of books and am making time to indulge in reading, and am now so grateful that my local library was not one of those in the firing line

So very sad - so many of our best authors were introduced to books by libraries.

Yes, it's a great shame when libraries close as they are a lifeline for some elderly people. Fortunately, one of our local libraries was saved as it was taken over by a charity about a year ago, with some assistance from the Council. Here's the news item on it.
http://www.bexley.gov.uk/index.aspx?a...

I'm glad it was saved Maureen! I don't know what I'd do without the library - I have been going regularly ever since I was old enough to have a library card. Luckily they are not shutting the ones I use down - just changing the opening hours slightly.

That's very sad Hilary. Like you most of my childhood reading was through the library.

Hilary - I don't think my brain took in your comment properly - which ones are shutting?? It's the main one at Sunderland that I use and the one at Houghton but neither of those are closing. (I live in Houghton-le-Spring which is technically in Sunderland but is equal distance from both S'land and Durham so I usually just pick one and say I'm from there :S)

Laurel . It's Silksworth and East Herrington that are closing, I didn't pay much attention to the other names but think they were on the north side of Sunderland. What really, really gets to me is that I remember when the Silksworth library was in the assembly hall of the junior school and only open when the school day was finished. It was such a great day when the new purpose built library was opened and now it's to be closed. Yes, it probably was about 50 years ago but I don't see that as the issue.

Seeing as I am in a grumpy old woman mood. What happened to Houghton Feast! It used to be the highlight of our social calendar when I was in my early teens. Three showfields, lots of screaming on rides and, the very best bit, lots of boys to show off to! The last I heard it was on its last legs and I suspect the council will say they can't afford that either! Rant over.

It's still running - was last week actually. The parade was still on and the fireworks on the monday night and they still brought the shows up so as far as I know it will still be going! I hope so anyway - I was devastated cos I had to work when the fireworks were on :(

Just thought I'd share this - it's a condensed version of Neil Gaiman's lecture for the Reading Agency the other day about reading and libraries:

http://www.theguardian.com/books/2013...

Thank you for posting this Laurel because I would never have seen it otherwise. He articulates exactly what I feel about books, reading, libraries and children! I am so grateful that my parents encouraged me to read whatever I could understand. I enjoyed the comics like the Dandy, children's books like Just William and adult books like The War of the Worlds all at the same time. Our librarian never batted an eyelid when I turned up with my dad's membership card and I don't ever remember her stopping me taking out what ever I chose. If I didn't understand it, I left it, I moved on to another and no one said anything just encouraged me to keep reading, which I have done all my life. People who don't read for pleasure simply don't know what they're missing!

Thanks Laurel - a fascinating article. Like Einstein, Dickens was a huge fan of fairy stories - he wrote several essays and articles arguing against their replacement by moralising children's stories.
I always look rather blankly at people when they say that they don't read for pleasure- I really can't imagine life without books. One of my work colleagues used to read alot but says he was put off by all the text books he had to read at university??!! I did try to persuade him that novels were a rather different form of reading but he wasn't having it.

It was posted in another group but I didn't think they would mind me sharing it here! I loved it, was a Gaiman fan already but even more so now! I think the point he makes about literacy rates and crime rates was very interesting too - the councils are only thinking about short term gains by closing libraries down but it could potentially have quite far-reaching effects.

@ Lee - I know some people who NEVER pick up a book and I just can't understand it. I think people are too reliant on visual media like the TV to do their imagining for them and then of course opening a book and providing the visual's yourself seems like too much work!

it's probably one of the reasons why "general knowledge" isn't very general any more. You learn so much, quite incidentally, from reading.

That's really sad news to hear Silksworth library has closed. I've many fond memories of browsing there in the children's section. :-(