Liphook Community Magazine Spring 2016

Home Library Service
Our library in Liphook is a valuable service
to the community and nowhere more so
than in the Home Library Service.
Nicolette (“Nic”) Morgan is in charge of
this service for Liphook as well as for ten
other libraries in Hampshire. She asked us
if we can find space to mention the Home
Library Service in our magazine as she’d love
to find more volunteers and customers in
the area. Nic says:-
The Home Library Service is for anyone who finds it difficult
to get to their nearest library due to mobility or health problems
or caring responsibilities. We can usually arrange for one
of our volunteers to visit to exchange library items on a
monthly basis. The service is free and available at Liphook
library. All our volunteers are DBS (CRB) checked and are
fully trained and supported by library staff. We match our volunteers
with local customers, and good friendships have been
formed through this service.
Our volunteers can deliver a wide range of books in standard
and large print formats, specialist books and items from our
Reminiscence collection, audio books on CD, MP3 CD (a
whole book on one disc) and Playaways which are easy to use
digital players. We can also offer National Talking newspapers
and Magazines which can be downloaded onto a memory
stick.
For further details or if you know someone who could benefit
from this service, or you would like to join our team of
volunteers, contact staff at Liphook library, or apply online at
www.hants.gov.uk/home-library-service
Peter Lavin, one of the Liphook volunteers, told me that he is
currently taking a selection of adventure novels to a 90-year-old
housebound gentleman and assures me that, although they are
both deaf, this is not a problem. Peter tells me that he gets a lot
of pleasure from the friendship which they have established.
He commented that Nic Morgan and staff at Liphook library
work hard to match up her readers and volunteers (who Peter
charmingly refers to as “fetchers”). Peter has also “fetched” for
a retired primary school headmistress who was housebound and
currently also delivers one book a fortnight to a lady in Liphook
who is not mobile.
Jennifer, another Liphook volunteer, told me that she is currently
taking books to two ladies who both have difficulty walking any
distance. One lady has recently become a widow after seventy
years of marriage so Jennifer is trying to fit in extra visits.
When I first had the pleasure myself of working in the county
library service, I became aware of the importance of the library
as a safe and welcoming place to go, and saw how some borrowers
valued the chance to chat to staff and others when perhaps they
might not have the regular human contact that many of us take
for granted. I can see how the Home Library Service volunteers
can provide this valuable service for those people who can no
longer visit their local libraries.
Rod Sharp
2016 Spring Appeal
Most residents of the Parish will be aware that their quarterly
Magazine is compiled and delivered free-of-charge by volunteers
from within the community.
Much unpaid work is done to get the magazine to you and we
owe a huge vote of thanks to all these individuals involved in both
compilation and distribution. There are however unavoidable
expenses to be paid and each issue currently costs nearly
£3,500 to produce.
Most of these costs are met by income from advertising and we
are very grateful to all those companies and individuals that
support us in this way. There is however a shortfall.
As we do not receive any financial support from the Parish
Council we must rely on donations, particularly from
residents, to fill the 'gap'.
We hope you agree that the Magazine continues to be of an
unusually high standard for a community of this size and we are
constantly looking to further improve its scope and appearance.
To help us achieve these objectives can we ask for your help by
contributing whatever you can - be it large or small - to our
annual Spring Appeal?
You will find a slip inserted in this issue for inclusion with your
contribution; please send to our Treasurers address:
John Anthistle, 73 Shepherds Way, Liphook, GU30 7HH
Alternatively donations can be left at: Gables News, The
Square. Would you please make any cheques payable to
Liphook Community Magazine
Thank you, John Anthistle
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