Preparedness for when

thriftwizard

I pick up a certain amount of free reading matter down at the Tip! I'm usually down there a couple of times a week, and there are two bins for "re-saleable" books, and I always have a little look to see if there's anything in there I fancy reading. I'll usually return them after reading - a bit like the Library, really! - and sometimes add more in too. It's not worth my taking the ones we're parting with to the local charity shops, as they're not currently-fashionable authors; their shelves are stocked exclusively with Dan Brown, James Paterson North, Kate Mosse, etc. - sort of holiday reading. Presumably that's what sells.

Apparently people are throwing out their entire book collections as it can all be fitted onto a Kindle, and that's another reason why libraries are closing; they're outdated, in the view of the authorities. But Kindles only work when you have 'leccy...

moneyistooshorttomention

Guess I didn't explain myself that clearly - re books from other counties. What I meant was = could I physically walk into a library in county x (next door to my own county) and browse the shelves in the same way as I browse the shelves in my own library, then physically take the books off the shelves I wish to borrow and hand them to the librarian at the desk and say "Can I borrow these now please - on the library ticket from my own county? When I've finished I will give them back to the mobile library van visiting my own area (if the library has closed completely) or my own library (if its still open - but with no new books for me to borrow)"

I've been using inter-library loans for years - ie ordering in a book to read via my own library. Duly found that service very handy.

*********

I fully agree libraries are a good source of knowledge. I only had standard type education (ie not going onto University) - but was able to fill in a lot of gaps and get pretty well self-educated via borrowing books from libraries.

***************

There's a bit of lateral thinking re possibly volunteering for mobile libraries. It didn't occur to me that that was possible. Now wondering whether that might be a way to get a more in-depth look at this area (courtesy of not being able to get to a lot of the more remote places because of the bus service here not covering it).:)

RAS

Well I have a library ticket for the "next county" because I work there and as long as I provided evidence of my ID they were prepared to give me a ticket with full borrowing rights.

Actually they have better research material for one of my interests and the local library at home closes before I get back there.

Karmacat

The thing about kindle is that a lot of classic books are free - I still have a paper copy of Pride and Prejudice as well as the kindle version, but I have kindle-only of Emma, because although I dislike the heroine, I want a copy for "completeness", oops ....

AnimalTribe

Ryanna2599 wrote: »

I have a large box of burn plasters.

http://www.theguardian.com/society/2015/jan/31/i-quit-my-job-to-set-up-commune

Thanks for the information about plasters, I have gel, but it's messy. Plasters would be better. I shall add some to my 'snow bound' stocks. I can actually see snow in the distance from my kitchen window. I just hope that it disappears as quickly as it came.

I hadn't come across that link so thanks. It looks like it might be a bit extreme, but you never know what sparks an idea.

AnimalTribe

moneyistooshorttomention wrote: »

Recently, I came across a similar website that others may not have heard of - ie www.fadedpage.com and that's another resource.


So - a shout-out for readers who are (or think they might become) rather marooned for sources of free reading matter. What do you do to plug that gap? Do you know of any other useful websites (preferably for modern-day books!)? What other ways do you get your "reads"?

Thanks for the link.

If there are any authors that you like try looking at their websites. Some put free reading material on there. Some of it is very good, some bad. It just depends on the author.

AnimalTribe

Books from car boot sales are not free, but they are very cheap.

You could also try swaps with friends and neighbours, or just tell people you are an avid reader - it's surprising how many books will come your way. I always make sure people know that if it's not my kind of book, or once I have read it, I pass it on or give it to the charity shop.

Try eBay advanced search. Type in books, collection only and the distance you are willing to travel. Collections go for pennies as people are switching to eBooks. eBooks are OK, but I just love the feel of turning a real page. I think it's the smell that I love.

nuatha

MrsLurcherwalker wrote: »

If there are no books and you can still get hold of paper and pencil, write one of your own for the future generations. Not a novel but record practical things that allow safe everyday living, things that work, the 'how tos' that keep survival skills alive for those future generations who will need them and if no one else can do it, teach another human being or as many as want to learn now to read! It's not the loss of libraries that will be devastating but the loss of knowledge that results from it.

Good advice, as always.
And it won't be the new and recent books that are most valuable but those that reference an older way of life with minimal or no petro-chemicals.

moneyistooshorttomention wrote: »

Guess I didn't explain myself that clearly - re books from other counties. What I meant was = could I physically walk into a library in county x (next door to my own county) and browse the shelves in the same way as I browse the shelves in my own library, then physically take the books off the shelves I wish to borrow and hand them to the librarian at the desk and say "Can I borrow these now please - on the library ticket from my own county? When I've finished I will give them back to the mobile library van visiting my own area (if the library has closed completely) or my own library (if its still open - but with no new books for me to borrow)"

No and No
I do have lending rights at Manchester and still access online materials there. I did have an arrangement that I could borrow books (in person) and return them by courier or post (actually I have similar arrangements with two academic libraries). Whether your next county library could offer postal return I have no idea (it was an option offered to me by a Manchester reference librarian and I gather I wasn't the only member in that position) but I did have to join Manchester Library (my Northumberland Library membership wouldn't be valid, nor is it valid in Newcastle or North Tyneside - my neighbouring "counties").
As far as I'm aware, outside the inter-library loan system there would be no mechanism to return books to different library systems (my area had problems with the idea of books being returned to a different branch library) and adding any such system would be an additional financial burden placed on the library (or the tax payers of another area) at a time when core services are being cut.

HTH

moneyistooshorttomention

Oh well....I must refresh my memory what online material there is for the library back in my home area then - as I have kept my library ticket for that and I might have access to online stuff my current library doesn't have anyway.

Fingers crossed that library ticket will remain fully valid for rest of my life (ie they don't change their system) - though I don't live there any more.

S_Wales_Saver

MTSM. As I know you live in Wales now there are a few possibilities. The ILL system is great but can be expensive. Most library authorities in Wales will get any book free if it can be sourced from within another Welsh authority.

I seem to remember you're in West Wales? Depending on how far west, another scheme that exists is B4U. This allows you to ask for any book held by any of the participating authorities and a couple of academic libraries as well. The books are brought to and taken back to your own home library.

The authorities are all situated in the south and reach from Monmouth to Newport in Gwent, all the South Glamorgan and Mid Glamorgan libraries and as far west as Neath Port Talbot and Swansea.

To access books for both these schemes, go to library wales.org to search and ask your local library staff for help. The B4U scheme is continually expanding and further into West Wales would likely be the next part to join. There is a similar scheme in the northern counties of Wales. The hope is to eventually have an all Wales system.

As an ex library staff member I sympathise with your frustration at the closure of libraries and the contraction of opening hours and staff. These schemes are Wales' (remarkably effective) way of trying to redress the balance.