Welcome to the first post of a new series I'm starting for my LIS blog page, 'Library spaces I love'!
In this series, I will be writing about some of my favourite library spaces I've discovered during my travels, with no limits on the size, type or location. I've been inspired because of my great passion and care for physical library spaces, and want to promote the value they provide to communities all over the UK, especially during a time where the viability of libraries in the modern age is constantly being questioned.
I, for one, always find myself in library spaces when I need time to myself, a peaceful place to work on a project, or simply a physical space away from my flat. I also find the presence of books and knowledge around me strangely comforting, as someone who loves to read and explore new subjects. I can't think of any other public spaces that provide these same functions that don't expect visitors to pay just to be in those spaces. This shows why libraries are not only valued, but needed by the communities they serve, which can include student bodies, small town communities, or entire cities or nations. Therefore, I want to use this series to show off various spaces, presenting how they provide comfort and value in ways that don't just include reading or borrowing books, as many non-library-users would assume.
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| Bower Ashton Library, UWE Bristol City Campus |
In my first post of the series, I wanted to start with Bower Ashton Library, a small, beautiful arts library in South Bristol and one of the three UWE Bristol campus libraries, supporting those studying creative disciplines at the City Campus. I had the pleasure to work at Bower Ashton during my years as a library enquiries assistant at UWE Bristol, covering the front desk as and when was required, and answering various enquiries from arts students, their lecturers, and sometimes members of the public.
I still work at UWE, but am permanently based at Frenchay Campus, meaning I don't get as many opportunities to visit other campuses. Though I love all the libraries at UWE, Bower Ashton holds a very special place in my heart, given it was created specifically for arts students, and so, as an artistic person myself, I always felt at home there. I try to visit as much as I can, and was glad to be able to visit this time with the purpose of promoting and talking about it through this blog post.
As mentioned, Bower Ashton Library is a space for the arts students at UWE Bristol, providing an independent study space and knowledge hub for all creative subjects, including Fine Art, Printmaking, Fashion Design, Film, Animation and Drama. It houses print books for all these subjects and more, as well as a DVD collection, special collection of unique artist books, and various art displays that change frequently. Walking into the library feels like stepping into an artist's safe haven, with creative works at every turn, and an array of comfortable and inspiring study spaces free to use every day.
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"Speaking personally about Bower Ashton Library, I consider myself very fortunate to work here. We place a big emphasis on showcasing the work of our students in the School of Arts, both to give them experience of curating and displaying their work, and to inspire library users, whether they are students, staff or members of the public." -Shaun Oaten, Library Information Administrator, Bower Ashton Library
The campus is based alongside Ashton Court, a beautiful estate in South Bristol with a vast mansion and surrounding deer park. Some of the library study or seating spaces directly face the estate, giving students an aesthetically-pleasing view of the deer park. Sometimes, you might be lucky enough to see the deer up close if they approach the fence! Even without that, the views make for a peaceful and charming study environment.
One of Bower Ashton's unique qualities being an arts library are its themed galleries. My personal favourite is the Tiny Cat Gallery, a miniature gallery made out of little more than cardboard and paper, originally created by local artist
Lisa Cole. Visitors to the library will find it by the welcome desk as they walk in, and if they wish to, they can take a tiny cat, decorate it, and add it to the 'gallery'. As you can see, it already has quite a wide collection!
In the Library Gallery room... well, you have the Library Gallery, obviously! This shared space has group tables and individual PC stations for focused study, but also houses an impressive exhibit of artwork submitted by current and past UWE students, surrounding the study spaces. These displays are updated frequently, providing students and other visitors with an inspirational mosaic of work, a reminder of the passion and creativity embedded in this arts library.
"Over the years, I have met so many interesting artists who have been invited by Sarah Bodman to exhibit in the library, run workshops in our Gallery or talk about their work at lunchtime gatherings in our Special Collections area." -Shaun Oaten, Library Information Administrator, Bower Ashton Library
One of the library's most unique qualities is, of course, its special collections. Housing a variety of artist books in all shapes and sizes, these are available for students to access and view for free. Exhibits like the above in the glass cabinets are solely managed and curated by MA Printmaking lecturer Sarah Bodman, who collaborates regularly with the library staff "to deliver exhibitions and public engagement with artists' books," as well as "collaborates with staff on the biennial Bristol Artist's Book Event (BABE), and with artists and writers on [the] World Book Night project."
Many of these collections are permanent parts of the displays, but most of them, including Bodman's, are temporary, changed every few months to stay relevant to current projects or themes, such as the
Artist in Residence scheme. I find it inspiring to walk around the library and observe these collections you wouldn't expect in a traditional library environment. It shows the library staff's commitment and passion for showcasing student work, which was partly achieved through use of the library space, resources and assistance of librarians.
Despite the small space, Bower Ashton is also equipped with a private silent study room, perfect for students who want quiet, uninterrupted time to focus on their assignments. With windows all around, this provides users with privacy as well as visibility for the rest of the library as well as the beautiful view of Ashton Court's deer park, making for another tranquil study space.
Overall, UWE Bower Ashton Library is an inspiring and beautiful place to be, whether as a university student, public user, or as a librarian working in the space. As someone who used to be a library assistant here, I have a particular fondness for it, and continue to find it welcoming and peaceful, including when I visited to help write this post. If I were an arts student now, I'd feel incredibly lucky to have this unique space to use for my studies, knowing I'd feel comfortable in it, my wellbeing boosted by the surrounding natural spaces, and inspired by the displays of creative projects.
Arts libraries are unique and precious venues, but they are getting harder to preserve in a climate where arts and humanities subjects/courses are being threatened or not taken as seriously. Thus, I think it's a good idea to talk about them and promote them as much as possible, showing that the value and sanctuary they provide as safe spaces and hubs of knowledge cannot be replaced, nor can you put a price on it in comparison to other types of libraries.
Resources on UWE Bower Ashton Library:
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