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Libraries : My First Visit To A Library.

Think it might have been different for different libraries Wam. I remember borrowing a scientific encyclopaedia from Perry Common Library - great thick thing too. That would have been in the mid-sixties. I don't think it was an exception. Viv
 
wam said:
As I remember things all of the non-fiction was in reference and not available to borrow but I've heard different things at different times. Is this something that has changed over time or did it just depend on what library you used?
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This has to depend on the library. Really I could not think of a library without non fiction unless it was a very small library.
 
It is still there and has been converted into a children's day nursery. I drive past it most weeks and think of choosing my books there!

Janice
Vivienne14 said:
Yes Janice thanks, think I mixed it up with the council building. This is the Church St library, before the service was moved to the modern premises at Parkgate. Hope I've got the right one this time. If so it was a very typical 1930s design by the look of it. Do you know if this old library has been demolished? Viv.

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Just discovered this thread, such nostalgia! I can add some different premises. Acock's Green, Lea Hall and South Yardley. Used to go to S Yardley in late 1960's, after work, just before closing time and vividly remember a man who had a booming sonorous voice calling out "five minutes please" as a warning of the impending closure.
Lea Hall was a small wooden building just opposite the station, I would be sent there to choose books for my mother in 1950's, I recall Ruby M Ayres was one of the authors that was on her list for me to choose from. Acocks Green was just across from my infants school, by where the bus to Moseley stopped. I remember the reading rooms in these libraries where the day's newspapers were displayed on sloped desks. Just William was an early favourite, I admit I never twigged that Richmal Crompton was female. Another favourite were the Biggles books by Capt WE Johns who it tuned out was certainly not a captain and I believe had never been in the airforce.
 
The 1945 film "Brief Encounter" starring Celia Johnson and Trevor Howard has a scene where the character played by Celia Johnson changes her library books at Boots. The scene is at 18 minutes and 46 seconds into the film. Dave.

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Perry Common was my first library too. I had occasion to visit last year and it didn't seem so very different to when I went many years ago. It still smelled the same! I too loved the index cards and still like them to this day. I wonder why? Mom and Dad encouraged us to read from a very early age and the love of books has stayed with my brother and me to this day. I remember in the 70's during the power cuts - I read my book by the light of the eye level grill whilst cooking fish fingers. I go mainly to Erdington now with occasional forays up to Sutton. Sutton's too modern though but the staff are nice and helpful at both.
 
I remember at my first Library, which was in Oldbury as I have already mentioned, Boys fiction and Girls fiction shelves were on opposite sides of the Junior Library. At that time I was reading all the books about boarding schools which were popular in those days. As I had read so many books on the boys side I had to sneak over to the girls side and discovered the Chalet School books by Elinor Brent-Dyer. I also discovered that Capt W E Johns wrote books for girls about a woman pilot, Worrals. It was not until I had grown up that they merged the boys and girls sections.
 
Neville Shute Norway was another author I discovered while very young, you wouldn't think I hate flying! Round the bend, A Town like Alice etc. They have all recently been reissued in paper back so I am now working my way through them.
 
There was a very small lock up shop in Witton Road, the second shop down from Norris Road, and it was full of books. No children's books but I used to go in and get books for Mom and I read them too. I read anything and everything I could get my hands on.

I used the huge library at the top of Witton Road just before Lozells. It is still there and its open. I also went to Birchfield Road library.

My one dread when I was young was to have nothing to read. Still is!! My back up was The Mirror. I just waited for my father to put it down so that I could read it.
 
Hi David,
I can recall my very first library I went to was on Aston cross my mother had taken me
I was allowed two books one was history of Aston and one was fiction book,
And it was very quite inside mom said do not shout or speak loud ,then I seen the signs
Pinned all around the .Library shelving please quite even the Liberian was speaking very quite
On entry at the desk there was a little swing barrier you had to go through she would press a button
After checking your books in and out later in years we moved up to Ladywood right by spring hill library
And it was a different complex all together but it a habit noisy
And it was there I got habit behind in returning the books the chap came up and knocked the door
And said can you bring them back as soon as possible mother went mad at me
I got a fine of about 1 shilling then I stopped going there
Best wishes Alan,,, Astonian,,,,,
 
I must be honest I can't remember my first visit to a library but I made sure my twins used our local one a lot. They used to have special afternoons with children to encourage them to read and made reading fun. Hi Alan.
 
My first memories of going to the library were of Erdington library,65 years ago, beautiful all wood panelling.
I was a big Milly Molly Mandy fan and a couple of years ago my sister gave me an old copy that she had found in a charity shop .
I am not a fan of libraries these days, I loved the quiet atmosphere but the last time I visited my local library there was so much chatter i couldn't concentrate.
Plus the self serve computer to check your books in and out.
Where have all the ladies in tweed suits gone,who issued a 'shush' every time a voice was raised , LOL.

I tend to buy my books now from Oxfam book shops and my next door neighbour and I who have similar reading tastes, swop our books and then they all go back to Oxfam.
 
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Alan (Astonian) mentioning Aston Cross Library reminded me that that was a Carnegie Library. Andrew Carnegie, the Scottish American philanthropist,determined to provide a public library in every town which did not already have one. Carnegie provided the funds for the building but the local people had to fund the stock of books. Birmingham itself did not qualify as it already had a public library but many areas around which are now part of the City of Birmingham did qualify.

This is a list of the Carnegie Libraries in Birmingham taken from Wikipedia:

 
Neville Shut was/is one of my favorite writers and at one time here in Oz we lived just up the road from where he lived the last part of his life. We still have most of his books handy and enjoy reading his so easygoing works for a step back to happier times!
 
My first visit to a library was with my mother who was an avid reader, mostly crime, this was at Albert Road, on the corner of Witton Road, it was a magniificent place having been Aston Town Hall until Aston was incorporated into Birmingham. As you entered there was a wonderful sweeping staircase which lead to the Reading Room with all the newspapers of the day, it seemed to be always full of old men, I don't think children were allowed in. There was a wide brass handrail on these stairs and my friends and I would sometimes slide down them, fortunately we were never caught.

In the early days I used to borrow Enid Blyton books, Milly Molly Mandy, the list is endless. As I got older I also borrowed books for my mother. I too enjoyed all Neville Shute books, Dennis Wheatly, read all Agatha Christie, books about "Jalna" the author escapes me but began with M and M.

My son was also an avid reader and still is, when he was a young boy he went to Aston Cross with my mother and sometimes me, and later on his own, one evening I took him and the librarian said he had had books out earlier in the day, and couldn't have any more that day. He had read them all during the day.
 
devonjim said:
Neville Shute Norway was another author I discovered while very young, you wouldn't think I hate flying! Round the bend, A Town like Alice etc. They have all recently been reissued in paper back so I am now working my way through them.
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I never heard of him with the "Norway" name before although I (re)read "On the beach" with a group a few months back. If you're working through everything, this might be of interest. https://www.nevilshute.org/biblio.php
 
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This photo brought back some fond memories for me; the entrance hall to Perry Common Library. The first thing I thought when I saw the photo was, "warm", yes. always warm in there, the warmth hitting you as you went in. Stamping the snow off your boots in that entrance, leaving puddles on the marble (?) floor, then going in through the 'IN' desk (ie the gap to the right of those double doors) to return books and finally leisurely wandering around the tall bookcases - in the warm. Get my drift - it was warm! I'd go as far as to say it was cosy and secure. To be able to lose yourself in books, nice and cosy and no interruptions, well no wonder I spent hours in there.

The double doors directly ahead was the entrance to the reading room where you could read newspapers on desks with a sort of sloping structure on top. There were lots of different newspapers too.

Immediately to the right of the photo, but off the image, was the 'Out' section where books chosen for borrowing were stamped. This had exactly the same set up as the 'In' section opposite. There were no doors on the 'In' or 'Out' sections, but the glass windows/partition joining the in and out desks enclosed the area for the staff behind the desks. I notice there's a sliding window in that partition, but I never ever saw that in use.

Viv.
 
its still open viv although not full time...when i have got time i will pop in and see how it looks inside...:)
 
Hi David haven't heard from you in a long time I hope you are well at your end
Just like to say thank you for telling us on this forum your knowledge of Information
Regarding the Aston.cross public library where I got my first books from
Our mom was very educated and from the day we was born she virtually shoved a pencil in our hands
And she never went to a council school from the age of five until she grew up and left school
She was at a private education , at the age of three she had us writing and spelling
And I started at upper Thomas street and I was picked up upon the class teacher and head mistress
Whom was so surprised at me being five writing and spelling correctly for being the only child
Of the new influx of kiddies starting school in that year and I had to hold my little black board
Standing on a chair hands helding my black board high up in the air, for all the other kids
To see it and I got five sweets from the head mistress,s desk when I stood down
 
Thanks Lyn. Be great to see how Perry Common Library now looks inside. Like all things, I expect the fixtures and fittings have changed with new shelving, computers etc, but hopefully there are still some original features. I remember lots of tall oak bookcases in the adult section, but expect they've now all been replaced. Think originally it might have had a wooden floor too, just remember a sense of being surrounded by oak wood everywhere. Thinking about it, the interior was very Arts and Crafts in style. Viv.
 
My first library was the one in Green Lane, with the swimming baths behind it. There was a lot of dark wood, and I think either the reference section or the place where newspapers were was behind dark wood and glass doors.
It seemed very big to me. I can remember taking books out about a brother and sister (were they John and Mary?) who had various adventures. There was a character, maybe a servant (childens' books were like that then!) called Kittiwake. I've never been able to track these books down.
Of course we had library cards, which were blue or buff depending on whether you were a child or adult. We used to go every Friday late afternoon or evening.

maria
 
Maria Magenta said:
My first library was the one in Green Lane, with the swimming baths behind it. There was a lot of dark wood, and I think either the reference section or the place where newspapers were was behind dark wood and glass doors.
It seemed very big to me. I can remember taking books out about a brother and sister (were they John and Mary?) who had various adventures. There was a character, maybe a servant (childens' books were like that then!) called Kittiwake. I've never been able to track these books down.
Of course we had library cards, which were blue or buff depending on whether you were a child or adult. We used to go every Friday late afternoon or evening.

maria
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Try this link for your books: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_and_Mary
 
Hi Sylvia Sayers,

You took me back a good few years mentioning the 'Jalna' books. I must have read them in my teens. The series was about the Whiteoaks family, if I remember correctly, and was written by Mazo de la Roche. I'm sure there was a name Renny or something similar.

Hi Viv - I also loved the picture of Perry Common Library - when I saw it I could even SMELL it! This was our local library and my parents were great readers. My mother was still reading up to her death aged 93. I used to pass on the books I liked unless they were too steamy. We much preferred '......... and into the sunset'. Still love books and can't sit still without reading.

I loved the little filing cards and the stamps too. I used to go home and make my own using my Post Office outfit to stamp them.

We used to get a book in our stocking at Christmas. I usually got one of Enid Blyton's Famous Five books or something like Heidi and my brother got boys books - a 'Jennings' book or 'Ozzy of Overstone' and later Sherlock Holmes. I quickly read mine and then read his too. He wasn't interested in Enid Blyton.
 
This must be the reference section, where I don't suppose I ever went, but it shows the dark wood.
 

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Lady Penelope said:
Hi Sylvia Sayers,

You took me back a good few years mentioning the 'Jalna' books. I must have read them in my teens. The series was about the Whiteoaks family, if I remember correctly, and was written by Mazo de la Roche. I'm sure there was a name Renny or something similar.

Hi Viv - I also loved the picture of Perry Common Library - when I saw it I could even SMELL it! This was our local library and my parents were great readers. My mother was still reading up to her death aged 93. I used to pass on the books I liked unless they were too steamy. We much preferred '......... and into the sunset'. Still love books and can't sit still without reading.

I loved the little filing cards and the stamps too. I used to go home and make my own using my Post Office outfit to stamp them.

We used to get a book in our stocking at Christmas. I usually got one of Enid Blyton's Famous Five books or something like Heidi and my brother got boys books - a 'Jennings' book or 'Ozzy of Overstone' and later Sherlock Holmes. I quickly read mine and then read his too. He wasn't interested in Enid Blyton.
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Lady P., Mazo de la Roche is such a tremendous name! I've heard of her but have never read any.

maria
 
The first library I used was Smethwick library on the High Street, where my nan used to take me to choose a book on her ticket before I went to school. My family were all avid readers and I could read before I went to school, love books.

You used to go into the library off the High Street through two big doors, into a small corridor and then it opened out into a lobby where there were the most beautiful steps going off to the left, and two glass cases with various stuffed birds and animals (rather scary to a 4 year old) and then through another set of double doors into the adult lending library.

There were two high shelves where you put the books you were returning on on the left, on the right the books that you were taking out, a librarian worked there, who to my eyes looked ancient, but mom used to say she hadn't changed since mom was a little girl using the library.

You used to walk straight through the adult section to get to the children's library, a smallish room at the back with a table and some little chairs to look at the books, which were on smallish shelves around the room, the picture books in a little box by the chairs. I would choose 1 book while nan or mom chose their books and then take them to be stamped and off home to be read and enjoyed over the week.

I think you had to be 5 to join the children's library, and the tickets were like a beige colour, the adult tickets were dark blue.

When I moved to Bearwood, we used Thimblemill Library, a beautiful 1930's building, it's still there now as is Smethwick library, both have totally changed inside, with the addition of computers and something I wished they would've had back then, seats to sit and read quietly.
 
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