Yesterday, a meme on Facebook reminded me of a long lost technology
– sign out cards for library books. And it got me thinking about library cards
in general. Library cards have always been hugely important.
My first one was orange coloured from the Mountain View
Public Library. I was allowed to have my own card as soon as I could sign my
name. I was so proud the first time I checked out books. And then later when I
was older, I changed my card for a yellow one so that I could take out books in
the adult section. I used to spend hours in the library, looking for great books.
And I have a very vivid memory from when I served as a
teenaged hospital volunteer in the
Emergency department ( a Candy striper). One afternoon in January, a young girl
had drunk the better part of a bottle of vodka. She was in the operating
theatre and no one knew if she’d survive. I went to see if I could get anything
for her parents and her father was sitting looking at her orange library card. Turning
it over and over in his hand as he asked why she had done it. I backed out and
made myself useful elsewhere because intruding felt wrong.
At school things were a bit different as we had the sign out
card system. You signed your name on the book’s card which you then handed to
the librarian. One by-product of this
system was that you could see who else had taken out the book.
Being a frequent library user, I soon noticed that my
choices often had been previously checked by one Lucy Ellis. Lucy Ellis had
left the school by the time I started but her name lingered on. As I liked the
books and sometimes did not have much time to choose, I started looking for her
name. Invariably she had good taste and led to discover authors like Georgette
Heyer and Philippa Carr.
I used to try to imagine what Lucy Ellis must be like –
answer sauve, sophisticated, with a ready wit.. Many years later, I did get to
meet her. She had become some high up executive at a computer company. I can’t remember
if I confessed to having searched for her name on the card.
My high school librarian tells me that the system officially
changed in 1995 so no one can use that sort of * word of mouth* anymore in
theory but in practice the cards do remain and every now and then, she sees my
name on one of the cards.
When I was at university in the UK, my library card doubled
as my id. I found it the other day and looked so young. It surprised me in a
way that when my eldest son and daughter went to that uni, the same system was
in place.
One thing they have not done away with at the library I
currently use is the date stamp. Because this library is so old (dating back to
1795) it is great to find books that were last date stamped in the 1940s. I mentioned this to a librarian who sighed and
said that sometimes it felt like there was a building full of books that no one
wanted to read.
But for me, my library card has always a passport to
adventure. Does anyone else remember their first library card? Or have library card memories?
GIVEWAY
My latest SUMMER OF THE VIKING is officially published on 1
June. I am giving a one signed copy. If you wish to enter the draw, please
email michelle@michellestyles.co.uk
with Totebags Summer Contest as the subject and answer the following question: Where
does Summer of the Viking take place?
You can read the first chapter for free here:
The blurb reads:
We have the summer, Alwynn. It will have to be enough.' Washed up alone on the Northumbrian shore, Valdar Nerison is a stranger in a foreign land. He has unfinished business in Raumerike, but first he owes his rescuer, the beautiful Lady Alwynn, a life debt. Alwynn is wary of Valdar's promise to protect her – after all, she has known only betrayal at the hands of men. And as summer's end approaches Valdar must choose whether to return home and fight for his honour or to stay and fight for Alwynn's heart...
I will do the draw on 21 May
Michelle Styles writes warm, witty and intimate historical
romance in a wide range of time periods. You can learn more about Michelle's books at her newly revamped website -- www.michellestyles.co.uk
5 comments:
mine was an orange card (paper)--could be used at any library in the County. it was mine!
Where I live now, we have plastic cards. The youngest has a newer version which can be scanned at the auto-checkout.
Denise
I vaguely remember my first, but for a long time I took out books on my parent's cards. Library cards are magic.
I vaguely remember my first, but for a long time I took out books on my parent's cards. Library cards are magic.
It is good to know that you too can remember first!
Mary Yes I agree -- Library cards are magic!
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