I have to admit I'm rather envious of Bill's new career move as a librarian.
I have always loved books and loved playing libraries as kid.
I don't think there was a toy set. It didn't matter 'cos I just made my own. I'd set up a little table with a pile of books on and name stamp them using a John Bull stamp and hey presto! instant kids' library.
Name stamping books was one thing - maybe the best thing I have to say - but fiddling with small cards was damn satisfying too!
Each of my books would get a small card tucked into the inside cover and I'd borrow one of my Dad's date stamps he had from work so these could be stamped too.
Any decent library needed lenders as well. I'd get my family to come and take a book out after I'd stamped the return date on the card. Woe be tied if they were overdue!
Popular titles included The Last Two Million Years, The Golden Fleece, Treasure Island, Black Arrow, Bom, Stamp Collecting Annual, Fantastic, The Perishers and The Impossibles Annual.
It was great fun I have to say and even today I'm fascinated by the date stamp history on library books. Each stamp tells a story we can only glimpse at.
One of my favourite library cards is in a Christmas folklore book I have from the early 1960's by Christina Hole. I read it every December without fail. As soon as I find it in the bookcase I'll blog it and you'll hopefully get excited too!
Did you play library as a kid readers? How did you do it? Did anyone actually issue a toy library set?
I was too busybreading my books to stamp em! I was always a fan of bus conductor sets, with all them nice tickets!
ReplyDeleteYes, conductor sets. Fab! Remember that tin ticket dispenser that had a plastic shoulder strap?
Deleteof course librarianship is not half as much fun now, as its all electronic. Each book has an RFID tag in the back, which sets off an slarm if it leaves the building unchecked and all checking out is done by placing the books on a sensor, 3 at a time! again on return, posting books in s slot, they are fed by conveyor into a machine which reads the tag and sends it to the relevant pile. theres no stamping involved!
ReplyDeleteSounds like Amazon!
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