Thanks to Eleanor (here and here) and Marcie for posting about their recent library reading!
New at my library this month: lacemakers sitting and working at their craft at two designated tables, with examples of finished work behind them. I was intrigued by their round wooden boards, almost like artists’ palettes, holding various pins and threads. Apparently if you can crochet you can tat lace. I didn’t know that we had a local lacemaking tradition in Newbury. On travels elsewhere, e.g. Nottingham, I have seen it more prominently mentioned as part of a city’s history. During my Tuesday volunteering the other week, a patron made a point of coming up to me and saying how nice it was to see them there.
The only thing that tarnished the experience for me, as with some other things I’m involved with (Repair Café especially), is that the participants are overwhelmingly over 50 – probably most of them over 70, in fact. Such skills and crafts are going to die out unless they’re being passed on to younger generations. This is not arcane knowledge to be admired but essential human culture to be preserved. Art is always of value for its own sake. We have never needed a ‘make do and mend’ mindset more, yet we are consuming and disposing as if there is no tomorrow. I need to bring up again with the Repair Café coordinators how we might get younger people apprenticed to skilled volunteer repairers to start this process.
Anyway, back to libraries. That day, one member of staff went over to a lacemaker and apologized that it was about to get noisy with Rhyme Time (a singing session for babies and toddlers with their parents and carers), which seemed like a great juxtaposition that shows the range of activities the library system supports.
My library use over the last month:
I’ve been catching up on the Booker Prize shortlist and reading loads of novella-length works.
READ
- The Wood at Midwinter by Susanna Clarke
- Without Ever Reaching the Summit: A Himalayan Journey by Paolo Cognetti
- James by Percival Everett
- A Haunting on the Hill by Elizabeth Hand
- Orbital by Samantha Harvey
- What Feasts at Night by T. Kingfisher
- Heartstopper: Volume 5 by Alice Oseman (a reread)
- Playground by Richard Powers
- Intermezzo by Sally Rooney
+ picture books Pete the Cat Saves Christmas and The Twelve Cats of Christmas
SKIMMED
- Barcode by Jordan Frith
- A Nature Poem for Every Winter Evening by Jane McMorland Hunter
- A Thousand Feasts by Nigel Slater
- Dinner by Meera Sodha
CURRENTLY READING
- Interlunar by Margaret Atwood
- Life before Man by Margaret Atwood
- A Beginner’s Guide to Dying by Simon Boas
- Small Rain by Garth Greenwell
- Poetry Unbound: 50 Poems to Open Your World by Pádraig Ó Tuama
- The Place of Tides by James Rebanks
- Men Explain Things to Me by Rebecca Solnit
- The Peculiar Life of a Lonely Postman by Denis Thériault
- The Safekeep by Yael van der Wouden
CHECKED OUT, TO BE READ
- The Second Coming by Garth Risk Hallberg (audiobook)
- Dexter Procter: The 10-Year-Old Doctor by Adam Kay
- Dispersals: On Plants, Borders and Belonging by Jessica J. Lee
RETURNED UNREAD
- Rosarita by Anita Desai
- Bellies by Nicola Dinan – Requested off me; will try another time.
- Bothy by Kat Hill – Have had it out twice and not managed to open it; maybe I should wait and take it away to a Scottish island.
- What Does It Feel Like? by Sophie Kinsella
- Kick the Latch by Kathryn Scanlan
The three not explained were borrowed for #NovNov24 with the best of intentions, but I don’t think they actually appeal to me (for very different reasons).
RETURNED UNFINISHED
- Graveyard Shift by M.L. Rio – Subpar.
- How to Say Babylon by Safiya Sinclair – Too long and involved (and such small print!) for a busy month. Will try another time.
What have you been reading or reviewing from the library recently?
Share a link to your own post in the comments. Feel free to use the above image. The hashtag is #LoveYourLibrary.
Bookish Beck = Rebecca Foster. American transplant to England. Freelance proofreader and book reviewer.
Bookish Beck 
You’re right about the over 65s keeping things going. Every time I’m with a group of volunteers, or part of an audience at some performance or concert, I think ‘If they ask everyone over 65 to leave the room, there’ll be nobody left.’ My own children are the kind who do volunteer, but their time is very limited by jobs and family. When they finally leave work, unlike my generation, they’ll already be properly old. Not looking good.
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From the Baby Boom and thereafter, there are so many retirees out there. Theirs will probably be the last generation to enjoy the comforts of a pension, a functional NHS, and a still vaguely normal climate. I don’t expect there to be such a thing as retirement (or society) in my older age.
In my every voluntary activity, I am the youngest person by far. People our age are too busy raising kids. I am lucky to have a flexible schedule and the freedom to volunteer, though it’s because I have very little paid work at the moment.
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Not great for you then. The few younger people I know who volunteer are busy polishing their CVs. And good for them! But inevitably they’ll disappear when they start to work full time. And yes, this baby boomer does know how lucky she’s been. Not only did I get a grant to see me through university (£300! But that was fine, my rent was £2.50 p.w) but also a travel grant. Travel to interviews later was paid for by the organisation looking to hire someone. All things unheard of now. And even my children had it luckier than the grandchildren will. It’s too depressing.
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Your mention of the lacemakers reminded me of my visit to the Honiton Lace Museum in September. One of the volunteers was tatting as she spoke to us which said something about her concentration! I agree about lost skills although for some young people it will be about time, I imagine.
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That sounds fascinating. I used to enjoy knitting and it was a hobby that I could work out while doing other things like watching telly. (Now I do neither!)
Like Margaret said, career and family doesn’t leave people of my generation and younger with much time for other activities. However, people do prioritize what is important to them. I just hate to think that it’s all screen-based these days.
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Here’s my proper post! https://ellethinks.wordpress.com/2024/11/25/loveyourlibrary-november-2024/ Love the sound of your library lace makers.
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You’re the best!
I love the variety of activities we host. It’s a real slice of life.
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I’m always surprised by how many people my age do knit, crochet and sew, though I’m sure it’s a smaller % than in previous generations. (I can knit but rarely find the time, and have not progressed beyond scarves.)
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Same — I had a knitting kick in my college and postgrad years but only made scarves for gifts. One of my husband’s bandmates is in his early 30s and very good at both crafts and DIY, but he seems like an exception.
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12 Cats of Christmas gets my vote!
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It was cute 🙂
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Humans have made things with their hands for ages and it is sad to see knowledge lost. That said, I don’t know how to do much with my hands in any craft sort of way. (I’m slowly trying to learn to knit!) I love the idea of apprenticing young and older people to pass down the traditions.
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I don’t know about you, but I feel like I’m too much in my head all the time, so doing something with my hands would feel healthy for a change. Gardening, or baking, or crafts.
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Yes! That’s one reason I enjoy gardening so much, but one can’t really do much of that in the winter. So I need something else.
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Cool that you have a Repair Café in your area!
I also use a lot my library. I currently have 2 mangas and a book on bullet journal. And my husband has a bag of them! We go to our library several times a week, it’s just about 10 minutes on foot from my place. So so lucky
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It started up in February this year. Before that we had to travel to the next town. They are such a great thing!
I love your enthusiasm for your local library. It sounds like yours has much to offer.
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I really enjoyed the Safiya Sinclair so hope you can pick it up again (I had an ebook though). And I’ll be interested to hear what you think about the Rebanks. Our parkrun volunteers were enlivened today by a 12 year old who co-run-directed, including giving the brief at the start and who has done most of the volunteer roles now: we have a range of ages and my co-Event Director is in her 30s and our volunteer coordinator about 40 so not too bad (we’re the three with the most to do every week apart from on Saturday mornings).
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It seemed such a random topic for Rebanks to write about, but it’s good to see him trying something new and so far I think it beautifully written.
That’s great that you have a range of ages among your parkrun volunteers.
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There is a social program up here that works to connect young people (school-age) and older people (living in senior residences, mostly I suspect, but not nursing homes, but I’m guessing at this and at least a few seem to live independently). I wonder if the coordinators could locate similar programs for whom goals could align with your repair cafe. Similar ventures in Toronto were definitely an all-ages affair, so I guess this must vary between places…which is reassuring in a broader sense but doesn’t help in your situation at all. I am such a messy mender, it’s shameful. heh
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The one snag we run into is that (for insurance or liability reasons or whatever) we’re not allowed to have unaccompanied minors at the events. So it would have to be college students over 18, or young adults. But even 30- and 40-somethings coming along to learn would be a great thing imho.
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Maybe you have to join a bunch of things you actually do not want to join, just so everyone can fall in love with you and want to know what you do for fun, so you can drag them along with you. heehee
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I’m already stretched thin for volunteering, but the one thing we do really want to do is start a board game club in our neighbourhood. We’re hung up on the details like where would it take place (people’s houses? a rented hall?) and how would we have any needed funds and could we exclude children below a certain age or would that mean no one could come.
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Oh, that would be so fun for you! And everyone! There are so many different variations on these groups, we’ve been part of several (sometimes adult only sometimes a separate table for indie-minded kids, mostly in semi-public places like a corner in a bar/cafe with minimum purchases negotiated, also small dues to cover organizing costs with raffles in exchange etc.) and it’s probably best to simply start and give it your best try!
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I’ll assess interest via our community Facebook group. There’s a board game cafe in Oxford that we might try with American friends visiting later in the month. It will be interesting to see how that works.
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