Why oh why was it allowed to happen? Why can’t things be left alone? It’s such a shame when original features get removed from historic buildings because it’s almost impossible to get them back again.
Julie McKirdy, Thimblemill Library Supervisor, sent me her photos of the library in the 1980s before the major refurb took place. Her photos show how the library used to look with its very stylish Art Deco counter.
I like this photo the most as it shows the original counter which used the the Bourne Issue System in all its glory. Horse shaped with 2 drums holding all the tickets.
I’d never heard of the Bourne System before but the Wikipedia definition that Julie sent me describes it perfectly.
"When a book was borrowed the librarian took one of the reader's borrowing cards and removed the book's own card.
The two cards were filed together this date was stamped in the book. The cards are tickets are organised in trays, by date of issue, and within date by the key on the card.
When the book was returned, the user's card was removed from the file of the day indicated by the stamp and given back, and the book card was replaced in the book.
Whilst the filed cards revealed which user had a particular book, or which books a particular reader had borrowed, this was only true whilst the loan continued. Afterwards no record of the transaction remained."
I'm all for advances in technology but it would be wonderful to go back to a much simpler time!
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