Travelling Suitcase Library

Just a quick reminder that the Travelling Suitcase Library will be having another book swap tomorrow, the 10th December, at Cafe 164 between 11-3ish.

We'll have the usual book swap, so bring your tomes, and pick up your festive read. Plus the gorgeous and talented @Decknologist will have his decks set up to spin some festive "wax" (look at me being all down with the kids!) so tweet him your requests.

Cafe 164 is next door to the Leeds Gallery, opposite the bus station, and sells a wide range of teas, coffees and soft drinks. If you are desperate for a festive tipple, please do bring a bottle!

Cheers, and see you then,
BookElf xxx

I'll be collaborating again with the gorgeous Decknologist (whose decks I was next to at the LS6 Beer Fest Day 2) and Cafe 164 to bring you another brilliant book swap, this time with a more festive feel, on Saturday 10 December, from 11-3.
Once again, the lovely people at Cafe 164 will be serving cake and tea (and calorie-brownies, hmmmm, calorie-brownies...) but if you do fancy a beer, its BYOB.
Last book swap ended up with us having a good ol' rant about Game of Thrones (like all meetings with bookies are at the moment! Just got another convert last night...) and myself, and two others, waxing lyrical about Margaret Atwood.
And of course, its a festive season, so Mr DJ shall be 'deck'ing the halls with beats reet jolly (and I thank you...)
So start collecting your tomes now and get your winter book-on!

xxx

Very exciting.... we've managed to score a couple of free tickets to Morley Lit Fest Mills and Boon event on Saturday night!
This celebration of the romance genre (which you know I just lurve) is at a 1950s themed diner and includes readings, romantic crooning, comedy and bespoke cocktails.
If you would like the two free tickets, all you have to do is email me bookelfleeds (at) gmail (dot) com, with the subject 'I Got The Love!' (or something equally cheesy!)
First email in wins the tickets....GO ROMANCE LOVERS GO!!!!

Just a quick reminder post that next Saturday 1st October we are hosting an Autumnal Books Swap at Cafe 164 from 11-3 ish.
The Cafe shall be selling lovely cakes and teas and that, but please feel to BYOB if you fancy a beer.

I've got loads of lovely books at the moment, but I am able to take donations that shall be taken to book swaps or distributed across the various book swap points growing around the city so please bring your tomes.

Jess xxx

As you may have noticed, The Guardian online are running a book swap weekend. Of course, this is highly exciting and I hope shall be very successful.

Anyone wanting to actually meet other book worms, we are having our usual monthly book swap this Sunday in Arcadia Bar in Headingley from about 5ish. The book club shall be meeting (see the LeedsBookClub blog for details on that) but anyone wanting to just swap books, please come on down!

The TSL is bursting at the moment, and having just moved house I am now able to take donations yet again, so anyone clearing out their shelves, you know how much we love you... and any books that I don't think would be that great in the suitcase I'll either donate to charity, or send the children's ones to the inner city Birmingham primary school we mentioned in earlier posts!

See you Sunday!

Jess xx

After a relatively quiet summer, I'm realy pleased to announce a special book swap shall be taking place in new Leeds venue Cafe 164 on 1 October between 11-3

Cafe 164 is a new arts cafe, selling all kinds of sweet treats and teas. The Book Swap shall be very informal, with loads of opportunities to meet people who are into what you're into, and rent merrily about tomes you love, live, or loathe.

The Travelling Suitcase Library shall of course be rocking up with as widest selection of books as can be fit into a suitcase, but please bring your tomes.

Cakes and hot drinks shall be available from Cafe, but anyone wanting a beer that early in the day is welcome to BYOB.

Looking forward to seeing lots of book lovers there!

The Travelling Suitcase Library is going to be running a very informal, family book swap during the Big Free Festival Day, part of I Love West Leeds Festival.

The festival takes place in Bramley Falls Park, 1-5 pm on the 3 July. I'm going to be about all afternoon, with a suitcase brimming with books for all the family (might even squeeze in a couple of story tellings if I can find my story telling hat!) but once again I need your help!

In the past the Suitcase has catered more for adult-only events, so my collection of books for children and young adults is to be honest poor.

If anyone has any children's books left after the call out last month for the Book That Appeal for the Birmingham school (which I'm pleased to say had a fantastic response and the children love their books!) please let me know.

I know this is the time of year when many people move house, if you are having a clear out I'm more than happy to collect from you. Or you can leave the books in Arcadia at any time.

For more info on the festival go to http://www.ilovewestleeds.co.uk/

So today I threw all my toys out of my pram a bit over this article http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2011/jun/01/three-in-10-uk-children-own-no-books?CMP=twt_gu from a report from The National Literacy Trust that 3/10 children do not have their own books.

Now I know that there are millions of children that go without a bed every night and I am in no way saying this is more important. But this is something that quite frankly makes me rage.

Because without fail every single time I set up the Travelling Suitcase Library, someone always says "oh I have sooooo many books I mean to donate".

Really? Well three in ten children DON'T and I'm sorry but that is bollocks.

So in the midst of my Massive Row on twitter about this whole thing, in which I behaved like a petulant child which I'm very sorry for, I was contacted by a primary school teacher working in inner city Birmingham whose children love books, but do not have that much access to them.

I know there are various arguments that unless adults are reading, children won't. That's why I always carry a book everywhere I go, read in public at every opportunity and try and get as many people as possible to do the same, only by normalising reading does it become acceptable, only by saying "actually, this is what we do" do you stop the idea that by reading you are somehow missing out on "having a life".

And how is a child supposed to know if they're a reader or not if they don't have the opportunity to explore reading?

SO I've got this primary school's address and will be sending them the books that are age appropriate from the TSL and my shelves.

I think I've got about 30, which is pathetic and less that a class full. I can't afford to this month but next month I shall be hitting the charity shops in an attempt to get that number up. Do YOU have children's books just lying around waiting to be donated?

If you want to send some, email me bookelfleeds (at) gmail (dot) com and I'll email you the address.

Thanks, and Happy Reading!

Jess xx

Over the last six months I have had a lot of requests from people wanting to know the best way to start their own book swaps or if they too can have a Travelling Suitcase Library. To that I say- Go For It! I didn't start this for profit or personal gain, and anything that gets more people reading, and talking about what they're reading in a open and social way is a Good Thing.

However, I am very concerned that people might think that they can say they run a Travelling Suitcase Library, and make money from the scheme, or benefit in some other way that does not fit in with the ethos of the original project.

With this in mind, I have come up with the following 'manifesto' (I'm thinking more avant-guarde than political party here) which I would ask that anyone wishing to start a Travelling Suitcase Library reads, and signs, before attaching the name to their project.

Any questions, or anything you think I've got hideously wrong, as usual, just let me know.

Jess

Manifesto
1.The Travelling Suitcase Library must provide as wide a range of books that can fit into a suitcase. There must be no discrimination shown between genre, literary style or format. For ease, the word ‘book’ used in this manifesto refers to any printed text made available through the Travelling Suitcase Library.

2.The Travelling Suitcase Library must not actively promote any racist, sexist, transphobic or cissexist, homophobic, ablest, classist or fatist attitudes in the material it provides, however freedom of speech should never be compromised. Any books that display such attitudes that end up in the suitcase must be swapped with discretion and trigger warnings given if this is appropriate.

3.The Travelling Suitcase Library must be free. There must never be any membership, signing fee, fines, or any other financial reward for providing the service.

4.The Travelling Suitcase Library must go to as wide a range of events and locations as possible. The Travelling Suitcase Library may accept complimentary entrance to an event, but must in return promote that event in some way. The Travelling Suitcase Library must make it clear in promotional material that the event charges an entrance fee.

5.The Travelling Suitcase Library must use second hand books. All books must come from donations, second hand shops, charity shops, library sales, or other events.

6.Any books donated to the Travelling Suitcase Library from publishing houses should be included, but in no way promoted. No one book should be promoted above another, as the focus should be on finding the right book for the individual.

7.The Travelling Suitcase Library must promote reading for pleasure at all times.

8.The Travelling Suitcase Library must never impeach upon any public or educational library. Any one looking for a particular book must be encouraged to go to their public library first. The Travelling Suitcase Library must fight against any public library closures.

9.The Travelling Suitcase Library must be an environmentally friendly as possible. If a bus is available, a bus must be used over a car, for example.

10.The Travelling Suitcase Library does not necessarily have to be in a suitcase, though it probably makes more sense if it is!

I'm very very happy to announce that the lovely and gorgeous people at LS6 Beer Festival, running Friday 3 - Saturday 4 June in Left Bank Leeds (the big Church thing on Cardigan Road) have allowed me to run a book swap!

The Travelling Suitcase Library with of course be there, bigger than ever with the recent influx of donations (thanks as ever to @thoughtlessjoe, @saratheresaphoto, @gazpachodragon and everyone else who brought books to Book Club this Sunday). Seeing as I will be far to busy pulling pints and dancing like a loon to be on the book table all the time, it will be an incredibly informal book swap, but as ever do ask for any recomendations and BRING YOUR TOMES!!!

More info about the fest, including where to buy tickets, can be found here...

http://ls6beerfest.com/

Lots of exciting things planned for May/June/July

I will be dragging the suitcase around with me. As per usual, anyone wanting me to bring the suitcase to their event, please get in touch. Ta xx

15 May Arcadia Bar Book Swap in conjunction with the Leeds Book Club, from about 5 ish.

20 May Chorlton Arts Festival Books and Blues evening in conjunction with For Books Sake, free entry see http://chorltonartsfestival.com/ for details.

7 June Bettakultcha. Leeds University Union Stylus, 7.30. For tickets, which are £5 please go to http://bettakultcha9leeds.eventbrite.com/

15 July The Mad Hatter's Tea Party, Nexus Art's Cafe Manchester, tickets are £5. See http://forbookssake.net/2011/04/08/for-books-sake-presents-the-mad-hatters-tea-party/ for details.


Thank you!

Arcadia Ale and Wine Bar
Arndale Centre
Headingley

From About 5 ish

Help!

World Book Night has completely cleared me out of books!

World Book Night was fantastic event (read mine and N's write-ups of it on the LeedsBookClub blog) and really successful, in that we shared a lot of books with a lot of people, but the Suitcase is looking pretty diminished as a result!

A lot of people often say that they have loads of books just lying around, and that they wish they'd known about The TSL to donate!

Well NOW IS YOUR CHANCE!!!!!

I will take any books that you think people should read. Any genre, any period, fiction, non fiction, graphic novels, whatever.

I will also COME TO YOU. If you are somewhere I can get to on a bus, I shall bring the sad, empty suitcase and fill it. You can be safe knowing that your books are going to people who will read for pleasure, or even those who've never read for pleasure before. Who knows, your books could change someones life.

Obviously I'd much rather you donate your books to charity shops, and if I weren't so skint I'd just go round Headingley and fill up the suitcase from purchases, but I am, and have two book swaps booked this month, so I have to go hunting for donations. I promise that once I have a bit more money I will make a donation to charity so that no one misses out by your donating the books to the TSL.

If you have any books at all you can donate, please leave a comment or get in touch on twitter @bookelfleeds or email me bookelfleeds at gmail dot com. Thank you so so so so much!!!

xxx

Hooray! The Travelling Suitcase Library is giving away books!!!
(so any other day then yes?)

No!

World Book Night (http://www.worldbooknight.org/titles/) is a national incentive to get people reading for pleasure. We're giving away 40-odd (after donating a couple to work) copies of Stuart: A Life Backwards by Alexander Masters.

World Book Night is on the Saturday 5 March.

I'll be at Left Bank Leeds on Cardigan Lane (lovely old church now used for the community) doing a book swap from 6-8, then hot footing it to My Spiritual Home, Arcadia, to give out books from 8.30 pm. I'll be doing a book-swap as well so Bring Your Tomes!!!!

xxxx

Anyone who hasn't seen it here's my interview with The Leeds Guide, fabulous people that they are
http://www.leedsguide.co.uk/review/interview/jess-haigh/17801

Just wanna say one thing.

You may have noticed that this blog, compared to www.leedsbookclub.blogspot.com, is a bit, shall we say, plain.

This is because I am not a blogger. I don't know anything about how the internet actually works, or how to write coded script and make it look pretty or any of that jazz. I work in libraries and I am only concerned with promoting reading for pleasure. Yes I bash out some writing occasionally because I love doing it, but it isn't who I am.

I do not run www.leedsbookclub.blogspot.com, or the @LeedsBookClub twitter feed, as it might come accross in the article. That blog is entirely down to the incredibly hard work of Avid Reader as she's known on the blog, and I really don't want anyone confusing us.

If you want to read my writing, find the pieces tagged with "BookElf", that I didn't even tag myself because I have no idea what I'm doing!

Thank you. More info on the next Book Swap coming soon. I can confirm I'll be taking the Travelling Suitcase Library to #Bettakultcha on the 1st of March though (and I promise not to have a hideous migraine this time! Sorry anyone who brought books!) so hopefully see you there!

Happy Reading!
Jess xxx

The Travelling Suitcase Library Presents...
Presents…
A Book Swap to end all Book Swaps…
Arcadia, Headingley,
Sunday 30th January
From about 5ish
Bring Your Tomes!
As seen at Bettakutlcha, Culture Vulture, Morley Lit Fest LadyFestTen and many many more…
WE ARE ALSO VERY PROUD TO ANNOUNCE THE FIRST ARCADIA BOOK CLUB WILL BE MEETING AT THE SAME TIME…..
…tweet @LeedsBookClub, email leedsbookclub@gmail.com, web www.leedsbookclub.blogspot.com for details
…or just turn up! Very informal, friendly, open book club
WE WILL BE DISCUSSING THE FOLLOWING EXCELLENT TOME …. The White Woman on the Green Bicycle by Monique Roffey