“As we bring the Living Libraries project to a close, just a little reminder of what we’ve been up to over the last year…”

“Libraries are both a sanctuary and a necessary public gathering-place; in the library, we can regroup, share, learn and equip ourselves to act in response to disconcerting challenges to our environment, political climate, and public health…“

“‘Every single day, without fail, for years,’ reported Caroline, a group of “very dedicated newspaper readers” have gathered at Storyhouse in Chester. The public library has long been both repository and provider of trusted information; a keeper of facts and holder of records…”

"‘Whoever you are, wherever you’re from, whatever your personal circumstances,’ Jayne explained, the library is a “safe, inclusive place to be, where everybody is welcome”. A central pillar of the post-war social project, the public library has been for many a constant in a rapidly changing world...”

“When Elizabeth became house-bound through illness, books “became a lifeline” and a “salvation”. Home visits from her local library service provided much-needed social contact, while reading proved an absorbing, calming activity…”

“Public libraries are one of the cornerstones of our society. Free and open to all, they provide, in the words of one Living Libraries interviewee, Rachel, “somewhere to be, somewhere to read, somewhere to learn, somewhere to connect”, with “no bar to age or background” as another interviewee, Elaine, explained…”

Living Libraries features on A Bit Lit, interviewed by Dr Andy Kesson.

“Transforming from silent spaces to ‘community living rooms’, as our interviewee Jayne puts it, public libraries have proved their adaptability and resilience time and again. Their response to the current COVID-19 crisis is no exception. Listen below to find out more…”

“As the country went into lockdown, sound designer Lucy Harrison, scenographic designer Ele Slade and myself, met to discuss our project, which now looked wholly untenable – an art piece that moved around the country, visiting public indoor spaces - public libraries, designed primarily for people to touch…”

“At the heart of the Living Libraries project is people talking. It’s a project that uses oral history interviews to explore people’s memories and experiences of public libraries, to find out why and how often people go to them…”