40 years of stories

IT has spanned the decades between the Beatles and Beyonce. Its shelves have groaned with the works of bestselling authors whose names are now barely known.

It has seen the children crossing its threshold clamour for Enid Blyton and JK Rowling, for Beatrix Potter and the internet.

It is Park Library in Cavendish Square, and it is 40 years old.

Those four decades have seen big changes in the library and in the neighbourhood it serves, some good and some bad, but it has remained a focus for the community throughout.

There are about 3,000 members who every month borrow about 5,000 items mainly books but also talking books on tape, films and educational programmes on video and DVD.

There are six computers offering free public access to the internet, whether to find help with homework or business matters, or just to play games. (The only request made by the staff in the latter case is that the beeps and explosions of electronic combat be set at low volume.)

The library is run by manager Caroline Blake, 47, and a team of six librarians. Between them, they have about 100 years of service.

Caroline joined the service in 1973, straight from school, and has been at Park since 1978.

Although she is loath to admit it, she gives the impression that libraries are, for her, a vocation.

She said: "I love my job I would not have carried on with it if I did not enjoy it so much."

In the past 40 years, there have been some structural changes to the library. A walled reading room was converted into the open space which became the current children's library in the late 1970s, and the replacement of the front desk a few years later necessitated reducing the library's two front doors to one.

But these changes were cosmetic, whereas the real alterations have involved technology and library culture.

The library, like all libraries, used to stock only books and periodicals, but as the 1980s gave way to the 1990s, successive waves of new technology saw videos, CDs, DVDs and, finally, internet access made available.

Caroline said one of the biggest changes was the computerisation of the library system in the late 1980s.

She added: "In the old days, we issued people with eight tickets which could be used to borrow eight books, but now they are issued with a single card, and they can borrow up to 16 items.

"The job has changed enough to keep me interested, and I feel I still have so much to give.

"Libraries are not silent, stuffy places where the staff are ogres they are places for the whole community and we want as many people as possible to come here they will be welcomed."

The next computer revolution at the library did not come until last March, when six public access computers were installed, allowing free two-hour bites of internet access to people lacking the ability or inclination to buy expensive new computer hardware.

The popularity of libraries nationwide is declining, but Caroline insists that the book lovers of Swindon and the libraries which serve them are holding their own.

She enjoys working with the public, many of whom have been loyal to the library for decades, and cherishes favourite memories of "interesting" customers.

Her favourite was about a man who came in, apparently after visiting the pub, and asked for a book about Leicester. It was only after Caroline had scoured the shelves for books about the Midlands city that the man indicated that he meant jockey Lester Piggott.

The library is celebrating its anniversary with a display of news clippings, photographs and memorabilia on a 1960s theme, and last week held an all day celebration, complete with balloons and party food.

David Allen, Swindon's libraries and heritage manager, said: "This anniversary is a real opportunity to celebrate with the community.

"There are people who have been using the library since it opened, when there were only a few houses here and people were just coming from London.

"There is a real mixture of people here from children catching up on their home work after school to people in their 70s and older.

"The library is a hub of the community, and I think it is really significant that most of the staff have been here for at least 10 years.

"From what we read and hear, it is all to easy for people to get the impression that life is hard here, but in fact the Parks area is full of great people who are getting on with their lives."

Barrie Hudson