Originally Posted by
johnny blue
Met an old friend inside the disused Everton Library on ST Domingo Road between us got some great pics, ,looking out at St Georges Church.
This was the library I borrowed my books from when I was at Major Lester School in the 50s.The walk up from Everton Valley after school with the book you had just finished not knowing what you were going to borrow was the best part of the day.
From Enid Blyton adventures or Sue Barton Staff Nurse to Robinson Crusoe to Hound of the Baskervilles you read your way round the Junior shelves hoping to be allowed into the more senior section as soon as possible.In the adult part of the library it was all polished wood and stone floors and a reading room with great shelves of reference books which you couldn't take home but were allowed to read at big tables. There were also the daily papers especially the Post ,Echo and Express which carried information about ships around the world and people would call in to check when their husband or dad was coming home.
The librarians were strict but fair and often questioned you on what the story was about to check you had actually read the book. To be allowed an extra ticket was great and long light summer nights reading in bed was what you did, remember TV
finished about 10.30 in those days.
The downside was in school holidays when you allowed your books to be overdue something like a penny a day and if it went over a week or two a man in a uniform came to your house to collect the books and the fine- very embarassing.
So what happened to this library? - this was a GREAT public service free books and as many as you could read yet it is a ruined shell. It was a wonderful building but it is more important than that it was the freedom to read and learn no barriers no matter who you were you could use the library.Think of the thousands of children who haven't had access to childrens books, the women who want to read lots of fiction but put family first or the men wanting to read about anything from military history to footy biographies.I might be a bit harsh but I get the feeling there would be more protest about the local club closing down than there would have been about losing the neighbourhood library.
By the way we always called it the St Domingo Library never the Everton Library.
I worked in Kirkby Library in the 80s and it was the lifeblood of a town that had been built without thought to how people would spend their leisure time.It was a meeting place a social centre and a great resource for all the surrounding schools. Closing the libraries is closing minds.
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