This morning, whilst in town I spent a little time perusing the bookshelves at my local library - The Druitt library in Christchurch.
I’m currently reading the latest novel from Jojo Moyes, The Giver of Stars, which I was kindly gifted by Michael J books of Penguin Random House UK. The book is set in Baileyville, Kentucky in the late 1930’s and tells the story of a wonderful team of women who take on the challenge of delivering books on horseback as part of Eleanor Roosevelt's new traveling library. Trekking alone under big open skies, through wild mountain forests, and beautiful scenery, Alice, Margery and their fellow sisters of the trail discover freedom, friendship and gain such joy from being able to spread the wonder of books and reading to the poor and lost.
Penguin Random House UK first got in touch a little while ago to let me know that they will be donating some lovely gifted special editions of the book to various libraries across the UK this month, to celebrate national libraries week (7th– 12th October).
Libraries are so important to the community, and from a very young age I’ve always loved being able to visit my local libraries and get lost in the wonderful stories found inside. My mum would regularly take my sister and I along to one of the libraries near us after school, and I really feel that working my way through so many library children’s books in my spare time helped me in many ways. I noticed big improvements in my speed, ability and confidence with reading, my spelling and writing skills improved and my imagination grew. I just absolutely loved getting lost in the world of books! As I got older, I mostly made use of my school and sixth form libraries, which were good places to work quietly and do research for various school projects. When I went to University, I was blown away by the library at Arts University Bournemouth, which is modern, hugely accessible and spread over several floors. I soon figured out the best and quietest times to visit and relished being able to work and read in there until late in the evening if I needed to.
As Jojo Moyes’ latest book proves, the important thing isn’t what kind of library you use, but the books themselves of course! No matter what age you are or where abouts in the UK you are based, I really feel that one of the greatest things you can own is a library card. Trust me, getting one will truly open up a whole new world of possibilities for you. Happy national library week everybody! Go check your town library for one of the special editions of The Giver of Stars and let me know if you find one. Not all libraries are participating in this, but its the perfect opportunity to visit anyway - you never know what you might find! If not, you can always pick up a copy right here. As always, I’d love to hear from you.