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S WE approach spring and a time of renewal, our first story of this issue’s Mediawatching takes us to Kenya and a
revitalised library in its capital. Nairobi’s McMillan Memorial Library began life under British colonial rule, when the city was heavily segregated, meaning for much of its life it was designated as “whites-only”. Now the library, and two others in the city, have undergone extensive renovation and refurbishment helping to open collections to the local communities they now serve. The Guardian (
https://tinyurl.com/ MWFebMar261) reports how the renovations have been driven by two women, publisher Angela Wachuka and writer Wanjiru Koinange, through their Book Bunk (
https://bookbunk.org/) project. Angela said: “The goal has been to demystify libraries and turn them into spaces that are huge multipliers of what’s possible.”
And while this time of year is a time for new shoots in Nairobi, Nottingham’s delayed Sherwood Library’s own attempts at growth have fallen short. The library was due to open in 2024, but issues over snagging has seen locals relying on a mobile library as developers and the council argue over responsibility. In a further blow to locals a green wall on the library, which had been filled with living plants has now seen some of those replaced with plastic greenery. Nottinghamshire Live (
https://tinyurl.com/ MWFebMar263) spoke to one resident, who said: “They’ve put some plastic stuff on there and hopefully it’s a temporary thing. They’re getting ready to open and hopefully they will then revisit the living wall.” Next we head to Weston-super-Mare and the threat of a library closure has sparked author Nick Smart to come out against the plans. The author told civic leaders that “I am living proof of the social mobility that comes through library services,” according to The Weston Mercury (
https://tinyurl.com/MWFebMar262). He went on to say: “In 1983, I left Priory School with precisely one O-level. Worle
February-March 2026
Richard Rolle’s Emendatio vitae.
Library has been my gateway to education. It supported me through my degree, my PGCE, and my master’s dissertation which I wrote there. My book was published in November 2024 and reached the Amazon top 100 and was featured prominently in the national press and BBC national radio. And it was written partly within the walls of Worle Library.” The BBC (
https://tinyurl.com/MWFebMar264) takes us to India and the story of Anke Gowda, “The retired Indian factory worker who built a library of two million books”. Anke’s love of books prompted him to start collecting and sharing titles five decades ago. During that time he has accumulated over two million books, stored in a sprawling building in the Karnataka province of India. When he was working, Anke would spend two thirds of his salary on books and receive many more as donations. He told the BBC: “I grew up in a village. We never got books to read, but I was always curious about them. I kept thinking that I should read, gather books and gain knowledge.” Sticking with the BBC (
https://tinyurl.com/ MWFebMar265) and this time a story from Shrewsbury School and the discovery of a priceless manuscript in its library. The manuscript, Richard Rolle’s Emendatio
vitae – or The Emending of Life, was gifted to the school in 1607 and stored in its Ancient Library ever since. Rolle was a hertmit living in Yorkshire when he wrote the manuscript, which describes his spiritual life in 12 stages.
It is believed to be the only complete manuscript in existence. The school’s headteacher Leo Winkley said told the BBC that it was an “extraordinary discovery” for the school, adding: “We are honoured to be the custodians of the original and only surviving complete version of Richard Rolle’s Emendatio vitae.” Finally, to Vogue and a piece in celebra- tion of the recent release of the Sarah Jessica Parker produced documentary, The Librarians. Vogue (
https://tinyurl.com/ MWFebMar266) speaks to librarian Martha Hickson, who appears in the film, about the 10 books that changed her life. Martha is a central figure in the film, battling against increasing calls to ban books in children’s libraries. From Harriet the Spy (“…the book I read again and again as a young girl”) to They came for the Schools – “To understand how we arrived at this place where American librarians are threatened with arrest simply for doing their jobs, read Mike Hixenbaugh’s frontline reporting about Southlake, Texas.” IP
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