{"id":5863,"date":"2021-10-28T13:43:09","date_gmt":"2021-10-28T12:43:09","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/wordpress.satellite.mmu.ac.uk\/northernquota-old\/2021\/10\/28\/manchester-library-trail-woman-tackling-budget-cuts-and-closures-new-library-scheme\/"},"modified":"2021-10-28T13:43:09","modified_gmt":"2021-10-28T12:43:09","slug":"manchester-library-trail-woman-tackling-budget-cuts-and-closures-new-library-scheme","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/satellite.mmu.ac.uk\/northernquota-old\/manchester-library-trail-woman-tackling-budget-cuts-and-closures-new-library-scheme\/","title":{"rendered":"Manchester Library Trail: the woman tackling budget cuts and closures with new library scheme"},"content":{"rendered":"

Many people picture their local library as an old and musty building filled with books that are gathering dust – but this couldn\u2019t be further from the truth in Manchester.<\/p>\n

Whether you want to learn new skills, meet friends, or dive into a good book, the city\u2019s public libraries are the go-to place for Mancunians.<\/p>\n

Helen Beesley is one of the city\u2019s avid library lovers who has adored reading from a young age.<\/p>\n

\u201cLibraries have changed so much since I was a child and now have lots to offer the communities they serve,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n

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People have loved the little libraries<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

However, this beloved relationship was ripped away as the covid pandemic hit and libraries were forced to close, leaving people without access to books or their local community.<\/p>\n

While most Mancunians mourned the loss of their libraries, Helen took matters into her own hands and established the Manchester Library Trail<\/a> of stalls containing free books for people to swap, donate, and discover new books.<\/p>\n

\"Manchester
Little libraries like this one can be found across south Manchester<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cThe Manchester Library Trail was set up in September 2020 after I had set up my own little library at my house in Burnage,” she explains.<\/p>\n

“I was contacted by other local residents who were also interested in setting up their own libraries. We now have 25 libraries in south Manchester.\u201d<\/p>\n

The miniature library-style fixtures come in all shapes and sizes \u2013 from huts to mailboxes and everything in between \u2013 with the aim of providing the public with books when Manchester\u2019s libraries were unable to.<\/p>\n

Communities<\/h2>\n

Helen said: \u201cPeople have loved the little libraries and they were a great asset to the communities as public libraries were not able to open.\u201d<\/p>\n

Not only were they extremely accessible for people to visit during their hour of daily exercise, but the boredom and lack of social interaction that lockdown brought prompted many people to develop a newfound love for reading thanks to the Manchester Library Trail.<\/p>\n