The Library

[fountains of nay]

Do any of you still use the library?

I hadn't for about 7 or 8 years, apart form the one at college or whatever.
However, I went in yesterday and discovered a weird and wonderful world of books and strange people.

The Library is great! :D I must say, they've got a really disappointing section for Language learners and EFL teaching though.

[Power_13]

The last time I went into the library was last year, to find out about LearnDirect courses. It turned out that they just had basic maths and English courses there though (didn't actually surprise me, this town being this town) so I had to bugger about finding it online.

[Roffa]

I mostly go to the library to use their free wifi network. But yes, you do see some strange people hanging out there.

[bokonon]

Ah sweet. I should check it out. I haven't been to the library for a good 5 years or so. Borrowed some albums which they never got back...The Chemical Brothers "Dig Your Own Hole" and Groove Armada's "Vertigo" I believe :)

[Roffa]

Brighton's new library was heaped with praise by architecture critics, it's just a shame they don't have much room for books. They've got a separate "teen" section where you tend to see middle-aged men reading "graphic novels". It's the only library I've been in where they play background music.

[phoenix_indigo]

i haven't been to a library since i was back in the States.
the last one i went to, they had added a coffee bar :eek: which i found strange as if they were competing with Barnes & Noble and Borders Books.

i stopped borrowing from libraries though, because I always tended to forget when books were due back and would get charged a small fortune in late fees.

[Peace-Phoenix]

I used to use my college, faculty and university libraries when I was at uni, the latter of which was enormous, laberinthine and as a knowledge repository is entitled to a copy of every book published in the UK. I pretty much never use local libraries. We have a lot of books in our house and are constantly acquiring more and if there's something I want to read that we don't have I'll go out and buy it....

[squawkers7]

Whenever I move to a new place, the library is one of the first things I find. You can read all the local newspapers there for free to find out whats going on in the area. There is usually a bulletin board with interesting stuff about different groups that you can join

[moonhawk]

Brighton's new library was heaped with praise by architecture critics, it's just a shame they don't have much room for books. They've got a separate "teen" section where you tend to see middle-aged men reading "graphic novels". It's the only library I've been in where they play background music.I agree, the new Brighton Library isn't that great. Sure it is the Eco-friendly king but I don't use it because I live too far away and library clerk creap me out.

And none of the teenagers are in the teen setion because they are all looking at the 'Adult' sections magazines.

[Power_13]

i stopped borrowing from libraries though, because I always tended to forget when books were due back and would get charged a small fortune in late fees.There was a bloke in Yorkshire who borrowed some books from the library then went to fight in the second world war, completely forgetting about the books just before he enlisted. He was on the local news around 2002 when he finally found the books again and took them back.

They didn't say what the late fee came to. I doubt they made him pay for the whole five decades anyway.

[Quoth the Raven]

Haven't been in the library for years.. trouble is, mostly the books I like (fantasy, sci-fi) come in series and there's always one or more that's bloody missing.
for a minute there I thought you were talking about the DC++ hub, where I spend many a long hour ;)
Sadly, it's gone the way of all things, can't seem to find it anymore :(

[phoenix_indigo]

There was a bloke in Yorkshire who borrowed some books from the library then went to fight in the second world war, completely forgetting about the books just before he enlisted. He was on the local news around 2002 when he finally found the books again and took them back.

They didn't say what the late fee came to. I doubt they made him pay for the whole five decades anyway.nah ... seems the most you have to pay is the value of the book, which i think is strange, because if you are returning it, then they don't need to buy another one do they?

i certainly hope they didn't make the WWII vet pay anything, however. :eek:

[IlUvMuSIc]

We always have fines on our books but its lower since of my age - my mum borrowed somthing on my card but i can't remember (didn't know) what it was or where my card is... Our recent books were overdue for over a month. They have rubbish teen stuff in ours its a tiny area. but they have alright anime.

[Roffa]

I'm in the library right now using their free wifi. I'm sitting near the enquiry desk - it's wonderful, they get a constant stream of nutters. Bookish nutters, so harmless enough.

[J0hn]

My local libraries are Catford, Lewisham and Torridon Road. All of them offer no peace and sanctity from the hustle and bustle of whacky children. It is like funhouse, except the fun part dropped out. Amidst a labyrinth of books, wonderous tales of the Emerald Tree and the attack of the killer Goosebumps. Kids these days prefer to go online through strange portals of darkness. But yeh, I have no internet at home. I pretty much come here browsing online. I discovered that Wifi is possible. Though I doubt it would work on your DS lite.

[Roffa]

Brighton library has a Young People's area where they actually play background music, as youngsters can't abide silence. Music in a library. The very idea of it.

EDIT: oh dear, just looked at the previous page and find I'm repeating myself...

[nynysuts]

I went to the libarary today, came out 45p worse off due to some fine or other, but I got the last of the Meg cabot Missing series and a Bill Bryson.

[phoenix_indigo]

Brighton library has a Young People's area where they actually play background music, as youngsters can't abide silence. Music in a library. The very idea of it.

EDIT: oh dear, just looked at the previous page and find I'm repeating myself...ha, you are getting old, my friend. ;)

in my hometown the oldest library in town had a small cafe area (which you could take books into) as they were trying to keep up with the area bookshops. that amazed me.

[fountains of nay]

That would be amazing... tea, cake and books! :)

[J0hn]

The lewisham library has a kids library with their very own internet connection-unfiltered. So a five year old could by chance be strung in with the big lads down at the Poker table.

[PinkMoon]

I use the British Library, the British Library of Social and Political Sciences (LSE), Kings College Library, Senate House Library, SOAS library AND Islington Libraries

I like to vary where I sit :)

[Peace-Phoenix]

I use the British Library, the British Library of Social and Political Sciences (LSE), Kings College Library, Senate House Library, SOAS library AND Islington Libraries

I like to vary where I shit :)Most people use toilets....

[Moon_Beam]

KCL library is a pretty special place:mad:

[Peace-Phoenix]

KCL library is a pretty special place:mad:King's College Library library? Oh no, Lithium's not gonna be happy....

[PinkMoon]

No,
Kings College London Library

And stop editing my posts sallimalli

[Peace-Phoenix]

Teeeeheeeeeheeeee....

[fountains of nay]

I need to apply for a SCONUL card and also for the Welsh National library (or whatever it is called)

[berkano]

I haven't been in a library for myself in ages, but I go regularly for a rhyme group with the kids. They seem to enjoy it, it's pretty fun, and it's free!

[Roffa]

Why do public libraries charge you to borrow CDs and DVDs when they don't cost them any more to buy than books, quite often less in fact? That's what I want to know.

[Roffa]

I use the British Library, the British Library of Social and Political Sciences (LSE), Kings College Library, Senate House Library...WTF are they doing with the Senate House library these days? Whenever I go there now I get hopelessly lost, plus worn out from tramping up and down all those stairs.

[Roffa]

Last time I visited Brighton library there was a djembe workshop in one of the side rooms, clearly audible above the usual caterwauling of small children.

Am I the only one old enough to remember when libraries were places for quiet study?

[fountains of nay]

I think that's pretty cool... Libraries diversifying in order to generate more interest. Fantastico!

[verseau_miracle]

I canr BELIEVE how crap the library here in Cheltenham is:mad: Its tiny and full of ancient books with pages missing. Considering the town has regular literature festivals and stuff its shameful...my mums little village has a better library and thats an ex mining village with not much else there

So nah I rarely go unfortunateleh

[etherea]

I love my local library!