Public libraries in and around East London
Hands up who has been to a library in the past decade?
I don’t think the show of hands would be nearly as many compared to twenty years ago, but alas, this is a sign of the times. With the digital age upon us and Google and Kindles at our fingertips, the days of a visit to the library to do some research or check out the latest bestseller are few and far between.
Personally, I love libraries. Even just 4 years ago, it was my favourite place to visit once I had finished work and picked my son up from school. It’s something about the smell of a library, the (often) mustiness of the books, the knowledge that you are surrounded by millions upon millions of words put together to form some incredible masterpieces. For me, it’s a place of solitude. I love the quietness, the way you can even hear the creak of the old man’s knees as he bends to reach for a book next to you. In fact, as a young girl, I even decided that a career as a Librarian was for me. It may not have worked out that way but my love for books has never died and I am delighted to see that I have passed my passion onto my son.
Before I continue, I would just like to share some interesting facts about libraries around the world:
- The world’s oldest continually running library is at the St Catherine’s Monastery in Sinai, Egypt, built in the middle of the 6th century.
- The largest library in the world is The Library of Congress, with more than 158 million items on approximately 838 miles of bookshelves.
- The smallest library in the world has space for just one reader at a time and has appeared on a New York City street.
- The highest library according to the Guinness World Records, is the library on the 60th floor of the JW Marriott Hotel at Tomorrow Square in Shanghai, China. It is situated at 230.9m (757ft 6in) above street level.
- The first recorded librarian was Zenodotus of Ephesus, holding the post from the end of Ptolemy I’s reign. Zenodotus was a Greek grammarian, literary crtic and Homeric scholar.
- The first library classification system was set up during the Han Dynasty. In the USA, it is believed that personal collections of books were brought over to the continent by French settlers in the 16th century.
- The first mobile library was reported in 1857 and operated in a circle of eight villages in Cumbria, United Kingdom.
- The world’s largest fine for an overdue library book is $345.14, an amount owed at two cents a day for a book called Days and Deeds. The book was checked out in April 1955 and returned 47 years later.
- The most stolen library book is probably the Bible, followed by the Guinness World Records book.
- The first floating library service started in 1959 using a range of ships.
(Source: Library Outsourcing)
Here in East London there are many public libraries that you may or may not have been to before. If you have previously visited and think it’s about time you went back, or if you have never stepped foot in the door, here is a list of the libraries in and around the city, and details for each.
Beacon Bay Library, Sherwood Avenue, Beacon Bay. Tel: 043 748 1451. Hours of business: Monday to Friday 9am to 6pm, Saturday 9am to 1pm.
Braelyn Library, Bengal Street, Braelyn Ext.10. Tel: 043 741 2031. Hours of business: Monday to Friday 12pm to 5pm.
Buffalo Flats Library, Greenpoint Road, Buffalo Flats. Tel: 043 733 8020. Hours of business: Monday to Friday 12pm to 5pm.
Cambridge Library, Smithfields Road, Cambridge Location. Tel: 043 727 9000. Hours of business: Monday, Tuesday and Thursday 12pm to 5pm, Wednesday and Friday, 9am to 1pm.
Central Library, Gladstone Street, East London. Tel: 043 722 4991/2/3. Hours of business: Monday to Thursday 9am to 6pm, Friday 9am to 5pm, Saturday 8.30am to 12.30pm.
Gompo Library, Bottoman Street, Gompo Town. Tel: 043 733 1116. Hours of business: Monday to Friday 9am to 6pm, Saturday 9am to 12.30pm.
Gonubie Library, Main Road, Gonubie. Tel: 043 740 4963. Hours of business: Monday to Friday 9am to 1pm and 2pm to 6pm, Saturday 9am to 1pm.
Greenfields Library, Reutz Avenue, Greenfields. Tel: 043 736 1700. Hours of business: Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday 12pm to 5pm, Saturday 9am to 12.30pm.
Mdantsane Library, Dunga Road, NU2 Mdantsane. Tel: 043 760 0800. Hours of business: Monday to Friday 9.30am to 6pm, Saturday 9am to 12.30pm.
Parkside Library, Windyridge Road, Parkside. Tel: 043 722 8941. Hours of business: Monday to Friday 12.30pm to 5pm.
Vincent Library, Corner Frere & Donald Road, Vincent. Tel: 043 726 2534. Hours of business: Monday to Friday 9.30am to 6pm, Saturday 9am to 12.30pm.
West Bank Library, Hood Street, West Bank. Tel: 043 731 1547. Hours of business: Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday 2pm to 5pm, Saturday 9am to 12.30pm.
While the appeal of the library itself may be to get lost in the pages a wonderful book or carry out research, let us not forget that there are, more often than not, other facilities available within: the borrowing of CDs, DVDs, children’s educational games and even free Internet access, the latter an invaluable facility for those without home access who would like to search for employment online etc.
For our children, I think it is of the utmost importance that they are introduced to the library while still young. My own son absolutely loves visiting, getting himself comfortable on the floor with books spread out all around him, sitting for hours on end with his nose between pages. Of course, not all children love to read, but the benefits of taking your child to the library are many. Encouraging children to discover their own interests through books will improve even the most reluctant child’s literacy.
So, what are you waiting for? Your nearest public library is right around the corner so why don’t you pop in and get membership cards for yourself and your kids, find out what facilities they have. I promise you it’ll be worth it!
“I have found the most valuable thing in my wallet is my library card” ~ Laura Bush