hawk’s Reviews > A Week In Future Wales > Status Update

Wow, really?! Normally you have to be a resident of the exact town to use their library. Which makes no sense, because if it's an ebook....who cares where in the world you are? It's not like you're not going to bring it back.

yes! I thought I'd check out the Welsh libraries and see if I could join any online. Blaenau Gwent was the only one I managed to progress to the joining form online, without being told I needed to live/work there... then after submitting the form I got a message saying someone would read thru my application and be in touch, and I was sure they'd reject it a cos of me giving an address in England... but a few days later I received an email welcoming me to the library and giving me my borrower number etc, and telling me my library card was ready to be collected from the local library I'd selected :D (one of the questions on the form). maybe another prompt to get across to Wales again, to pick up my library card ;) I chose a library in a town I knew a little, and one connected with my father's family. I'm not sure if they let me join cos of having a Welsh name ;) or if they were just feeling generous and/or really don't mind where you live ;)

I've managed to join a few libraries as a visitor, when I've been on the road, and stopping in an area for a while... and always been impressed they trust that I will give the books back before I leave the area ;) Orkney libraries were the best! they let me borrow more books than my card technically allowed and sent them over on the boat, cos I was stopping longer than I'd planned on one of the smaller islands. and they also told me I could leave a book I was still reading with the woman in the shop on one of the smaller but joined up islands to the south, apparently the library bus would stop there abit after I was due to leave and the woman at the shop would return the book :)
(the main library also gave me an envelope with their address on incase I didn't finish the book and needed to send it back from Scotland/the UK mainland ;))

libraries can be really lovely :)))