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Funny, Flowers, or Hours, or whatever you name is now, I was thinking about starting a thread on this just t'other day, to engage in my newfound love for the libray. Well, refound, actually. I've just joined the library down the road form my house in Stoke Newington and i'ts friggin great. They might not have everything I want when I want it, but they do have loads of great stuff, and I'll chance on things I would never read otherwise.
Basically, I don't feel that I need to collect most books, certainly novels, unless they're real faves. I have a big and scary collection of occult books and that's more than enough, thank you, and as I become increasingly selective about what I read in this field, I figure I may as well save the money and space and hit the library for a fix of print.
I remember a comment made by someone like Nigella Lawson last year about people using libraries less and buing books. At a push, I'd guess it's because of the general rightward/Thatcherite drift of our society. What I mean is - a) libraries have had their budgets cut steadily over the years so people are less likely to go as they can't get exactly what they want, and so another "public good" goes to the wall, the way of free dental and optical care. And people aren't engaged anymore with these ideas as issues, as public concerns, so the demand decrease - these "public good" ideas seem less on the agenda to me, so people don't vote with their feet. Hackney is a good example of this, with a recent attempt to shut the libraries on Saturdays to save money. Fuckers.
This ties in with b) the success of big business in the Bookstore trade, Waterstones' and the like. People just seem general just more aware that they can buy and consume, rather than borrow. Much as I love a browse in Waterstones, I don't like their omnipotence. It seems to me you're much more likely to drop into the Waterstones at lunchtime and spend a tenner, than even remember there's a library just around the corner to your house. I think they're great though - I feel like starting a "Barbelith loves libraries! Save Flowers' Career!" campaign. I think they are potentially a great community resource. I don't want to grow old seeing another little chunk of our shared social contract flushed away by genral rightwing attrition. Get going. You know it makes sense. |
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