A lot more than books

In Westcotes we have a fantastic local library.  It offers a good range of books, magazines, education classes, homework support and many more things you would hope to find in a great local community facility.  For me though our local library is much more than that.

To explain I need to go back seven years (bear with me it should be worth it).  I had my lovely little boy at roughly the same point as most of the people I knew in Leicester were graduating and moving away (he was and continues to be the most wonderful 'suprise' of my life).  This was a fairly daunting time for me and I lost a lot my confidence trying out local mum and tot groups and being overwhelmed by, what I perceived to be, really cliquey groups of people who knew each other intimately, I felt isolated and relied heavily on Andy and my Family.

This all started to change when I got a BookStart pack from my health visitor and went to join Ryan up at Westcotes Library.  The staff were lovely and encouraged me to come along and try out the toddler time sessions on a Wednesday morning. Very nervously I did. There was a variety of local Mum's and Grandmothers in attendance (and the occasional Dad) and I was able to pick books out when feeling shy. It didn't feel at all cliquey and both the Library staff and the amazing Judith (who ran the toddler sessions) made sure that new people got to know others and offered plenty of activities to keep the tots busy.

I started to get to know a number of women with kids of similar ages and looked forward to the sessions each week, especially when I found out I was pregnant with Ella at the same time as four of the other women and we all went on to have our second children  - all girls - within 3 months of each other.

Much as I enjoyed getting to know them every week, the big difference really happened when Judith suggested setting up a book group. Many of us jumped at the chance of some baby free time and we became a pilot for the Library service.  Our book group quickly moved out of the Library and into each others homes to accommodate our needs to put small children to bed and then meet and developed into a chance to, not only talk about a new book but, also to have a drink and a general catch up

Our book group has now been going for five years. We meet every month for the group but also regularly go out to eat/drink, or take our kids out together.  We have supported each other through pregnancies, miscarriages, illnesses, new grandchildren, losing parents, marital problems, children being bullied/brilliant/brats, in short - life.

The library setting up our book group (and many others after across the City) hasn't just helped me and my friends, it has a broader impact.  Our peer support has reduced our reliance on health services, we were able to ask each other what was 'normal' and reassure each other that our kids were doing fine. 

So when people talk about Libraries needing to develop what they offer and the importance of them being at the heart of communities, I can't help but smile.  Our Library in Westcotes not only offers an amazing range of books and services it helps give our diverse, changeable community a heart, and introduced me to the most caring, inspiring and fantastic group of women who I am very proud to call my