The last time went in a library must have been 16 or 17 years ago. I like the idea of libraries, fully support their “mission”, but it’s not really on my radar. A couple of nights ago I had a look at one or two of my photo books, having thoroughly enjoyed that, inevitably I ended up on Amazon having a look to see what appealed. I managed to basket £100 worth in just 3 books and 5 minutes! Then I decided that as much as I love books, I have no more room for them, in fact I already have a small stack on the floor that’s morphing into a side table with a beer mat on top, by the side of the sofa. So I decided I’d pop into the library to see what they had to offer.
During a lunch break I popped in to Dorchester library. Fairly quickly found the photography section, sandwiched between cookery and travel as is usually is! The section comprised of 10-20 books, at least half of which were the “how to take better photo’s with your phone” type. There were a couple of books however that looked interesting. Two floors down, I asked about joining. Expecting this to be rather a palaver, nothing could have been easier! Name, address, email address and show some ID – Done. A credit card style card issued with barcode to scan, and that was it, the whole process didn’t take 5 minutes. Then the surprises – how libraries have changed in the last 16 years or so!!
I can take out, up to 20 books at a time!!! So much for the 4 of my youth! That’s nearly the whole photography section! I can use the computers, I have no need for that, but clearly everyone in Dorchester therefore has free access. Not only that, I can borrow an iPad for up to 6 months free, but, when that ends I could always just re-new for another 6 months! There are DVD’s, an app that allows free “electronic books”, and that’s not all.
Apparently the libraries now work together as a network. Gone are the days when I belong to Dorchester Library. I can use any library in my region, take books out of any and return them to any. Renew them online and most interestingly for me, search the whole network and reserve what I fancy. They will email me when my choice is ready and reserve it for me! Wow – what a terrific service!
I took out a book about Lee Miller, co-incidentally that same day that the rather good documentary about her was reshown on BBC4. The discovery however was Wilfred Thesiger. No? I’d never heard of him either – somehow.
Major Sir Wilfred Patrick Thesiger, CBE, DSO, FRAS, FRGS (!) Was born in 1910 in Ethiopia. Click on the link above to read more about him at Wiki. I borrowed his book “A Vanished World” In 2001 (aged 91) he explains in his introduction, in a direct, matter of fact, no nonsense style his photographic roots. Uninterested in photography, started taking “snaps” with his fathers Kodak camera. He purchased a Leica II in 1934, which he used until 1959 when he changed to a Leicaflex which he “has used ever since”. All the photo’s were made on Ilford film through a yellow filter. Never used a flash, never carried a tripod, never took a colour photo. How’s that for knowing your mind and sticking to your guns! It turns out that he was even more of an adventurer that he was a photographer, the images however are simply stunning. How I manged to miss entirely this man, when my two main interests are travel and photography, beats me!
I encourage you to look him up. On his death his 71 albums of photographs, and 38,000 negatives were entrusted to the Pitt Rivers Museum, University of Oxford. Most can be viewed free here.
S.H.O.U.T. 