Swap Box
Did you know that Hemingford Abbots has its very own free 24 hour library? It is very small but rather beautiful and and is known as the Swap Box. It is bright red; in the centre of the village and the inauguration took place on World Book Day – March 1st 2012. Councillor Ian Bates came along to officially open the venture and Andrew and Edward Baily did us the honour of cutting the ribbon. The Village Hall Committee funded the project and it was organised by Pearl Muspratt and Polly Harper. The metamorphosis was carried out by Maurice Godfrey, our ex-postman turned handyman who did a sterling job under difficult circumstances.
If you have read this far you will probably have guessed that the library is housed in our old village telephone box which has been cleaned, painted in the original colours and stocked with books, videos, DVDs and magazines. Come and have a look for yourself. There is a small box of children’s books too and as spring arrives we may be able to incorporate a plant swap as well. All we ask is that when borrowing books etc. replacements of the same standard are left in their place.
Since opening, the Swap Box has been well used and we would like to thank everyone who has contributed items and started the turn-over. Grateful thanks to all who responded to our posters and turned up for the opening ceremony and stayed to enjoy tea and cakes with us.
A big thank you to the many users who continue to use our tiny library with the big turnover. We are grateful for the continued replacement of one book with another or thereabouts, in the same or similar condition to that taken out, also if you have enjoyed the read by all means return it for someone else to enjoy. The most popular exchange by far is fictional.
Magazines have caused somewhat of a headache as they are quite difficult to store, many have been very out of date and tend to be left in heaps on the floor so there is no room to stand. We have also received boxes of books that are really dirty and spoiled by being left in garages or damp sheds. We cannot use these so ask that you recycle them yourself. Large hardbacks are also a problem at times so please be selective when you leave them and try to place them on the shelves if you can. Too many at once can detract from the selection in such a small space and it prevents the children rom having ease of selection from their boxed corner. We are all delighted with the popularity of our Swap Box and pleased that the books keep dry despite all the rain. Thank you all for supporting it and… HAPPY READING