Home library service still going strong after 60 years

Keen readers who struggle to get to their local library are being offered a lifeline from a service which has been operating in the Harrogate district for more than six decades.

Organised by North Yorkshire County Council, the home library service runs across the county – and has capacity to support new customers.

A fortnightly delivery of books or audio books is completely free of charge and the service is delivered by volunteers, coordinated by the Harrogate area’s outreach librarian Deborah Thornton.

She said:

“We have schemes at all our libraries. Harrogate is the biggest one, so we have the most customers and the most volunteers here.

“It used to be the case that people would have to prove they were housebound, but now we take people’s word for it that they need us. They can use the service if they can’t get out, but also if they can’t carry heavy books.

“We have people who are with us temporarily after an operation and carers who can’t easily leave home. We also have people who just use us through the winter when they don’t want to go out in ice and snow.”

The service was first set up in Harrogate in 1962 and has been going strong ever since. It has 35 volunteers supporting 150 customers, mostly around Harrogate itself but some further afield.

Its numbers dipped during covid, when Deborah said some of the service’s users were nervous about people visiting their homes. Since then, she has been on a mission to reach new people and ensure anyone who wants to can access deliveries of books.

Deborah said:

“However much we try and promote it, you still get people saying they’ve never heard of it before.

“We will serve absolutely anybody. Some of our volunteers are older than our customers!

“We’ve served younger people: a lady a while ago contacted us because she was poorly, so we brought her books for her young daughter to read, to keep her entertained.

“We have customers who have been with us for a long time and love the service.”

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Deborah said the volunteers are given enough time to get to know the customers and are always happy to take on board people’s preferences.

They ask customers not to be too specific – only selecting one author, for example, will limit how many deliveries they can receive – and as keen readers themselves, volunteers will often make recommendations for them.

Books can be delivered in different formats, including large print and audio books, and customers can keep them for as long as they like.

Among the recipients is 95-year-old Doris Guiseley, who said:

 “I’ve had the service since I was 80 and to me it is a godsend. I’m an avid reader and can get lost in a good book, it’s what keeps me going.

“I recommend it to everyone I meet and tell them it’s a brilliant service.”

Anyone who would like to find out more about the home library service can call Deborah Thornton, who is based in Starbeck, on 01609 533619.

Ripon’s Leeds Building Society branch to close

The Ripon branch of the Leeds Building Society (LBS) will close on November 20, after “changes in customer needs and behaviour”.

The society said the three members of staff in Ripon will not lose their jobs, but will be transferred to other branches.

Established in 1875, Leeds Building Society has had a branch in Market Place North for many years.

A spokesperson for LBS said:

“We’ve made the difficult decision to permanently close our branch in Ripon, on November 20, following a review of our national network and changes in customer needs and behaviour.

“There will be no redundancies and the three affected colleagues were offered and have accepted permanent roles at other society branches.”

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The spokesperson, added:

“We’re writing to customers affected by the closure to inform them of our decision and any action they may need to take.”

In June, the society reported a fall in first-half profits as loan loss provisions increased.

For the six months ending June 30, pre-tax profit fell to £32.6m from £49.4m year-on-year as total income slipped 7.6% to £93.3m.

Photo of the sign telling of the closure of the Leeds Building Society branch in Ripon

Sign of the times. The Leeds Building Society branch in Ripon is closing.

LBS recorded a £9.6m increase in impairment provision to protect against losses on loans to customers. At the time of the half year results, a statement said:

“The Society took a cautious approach to steer a steady course through the pandemic and has made appropriate provisions to reflect tougher economic conditions ahead.”