by Gianna Murphy
For centuries, libraries were the primary source of information and study for society. They’ve always stood as the centre piece in communities, but with the rise of the digital age, and the newfound ability to have any information at your fingertips, the need for libraries is quickly dwindling.
Alice Walker’s love for books started from a very early age. She recounts that her very first memory is sitting on the floor in her local library in London with her late mother, reading the Winnie Pooh books by the window. “Both of my parents were very avid readers, and they really pushed that onto me from the beginning,” she said with a smile. This love of books carried her through her childhood, and right into adulthood, where she made the decision to become a full-time librarian. “It was either librarian or bookseller. Either way, it was always going to be about books.”
Walker recalls that when she initially joined the profession, there was a “sharp shock” that she experienced, in that it felt so different to how she remembered it being as a child. “When I was growing up, libraries were always so packed and lively, but when I started working at my first library, one of the senior staff pulled me to the side and told me to prepare myself for a lot of boredom and free time.
“I worked 9-5 Mondays to Fridays, and while I love books, and loved the idea of being around books all day, and getting to turn my hobby into a job, it was the most soul crushing job of my whole life. I did nothing the whole time.”
As technology has evolved and grown, it’s more common than ever to see libraries no longer existing as their own sole entity but rather being mixed with another space or purpose. A perfect example of this is the Storyhouse building in Chester, which exists as a library, restaurant, theatre, cinema and so much more. Walker moved on from the community library she first worked in, to a building more like Storyhouse— a bookshop, coffee shop and restaurant in London. “I have noticed that libraries work better now when they’re part of the building, and not the whole thing. When there’s something extra, like a coffee shop or a little cafè inside, it genuinely does change the game, and gets so many more people in.”
Maureen Jones has been attending her local library in Manchester for 35 years. She describes it as being her “safe place to go to when it gets lonely at home”, and has visited at least three times a week since Covid 19 restrictions were lifted in 2021. Maureen believes that the need for libraries goes “so much deeper” than just a place to read books. “When you get to my age, you realise how many social events are only for young people. When you’re in the library, there’s always someone there, someone to talk to. The staff are always there for a chat.”
However, Maureen finds that there seems to be a lack of younger readers attending libraries. “It’s quite strange, really. There never seems to be any books for young children, not necessarily the primary school age, but more so secondary school. There’s no new books for them, so why would they want to come down? They need books that they can read and haven’t already read a thousand times.
“I think that there is a lot of work for the councils to do, and I think that bringing a bit more joy and excitement in reading to the young people should be a lot higher on their list than it is right now.”
The multi-generational need for libraries to improve, and for councils to help them in doing that shows just how important the future of libraries is to the general public. For more information about how much UK citizens interact with and support their local libraries, listen here.
