Information Resources
... and absence thereof
In Thornton we did not have a municipal library, but every Wednesday the Cape Town municipal mobile library, a bus parked at the Methodist Church where books could be borrowed, ordered and/or returned by library members.
The first Wednesday after my return from the farm I stood waiting for the library, armed with my 1935 National Geographic. The librarian an elderly lady, managing the mobile library did not have a clue about falconry and what I was talking about. Despite sharing my information it was new territory for her.
How the library system worked was, if you wanted to enquire about books and or topics, there was a register that one could fill in about the topic or books. First and foremost the term “falconry was not common and I had to explain and show the National Geographic article for the librarian to assist me. I had no book title and/or no author to name, to list. The librarian undertook to research the topic and have an answer the following Wednesday.
Come the next Wednesday I could not contain myself. I waited for the library bus and fortunately, I was the first one there on arrival. The good news was there were books on falconry, but only two namely, “A Manual of Falconry” by MH Woodford’ and “Falconry” by Humprey Evans. The bad news was that these books were out in circulation and that I had to wait 2 months for the books to come in. Patience to wait was killing, but I had no choice.
Every Wednesday I would wait for the library bus with high expectations. Through this endeavour the librarian quickly realised that I was persistent and motivated and we became friends. I started to help her to box the books returned my members and she was elderly this helped her a lot.
After months, the books arrived and I could not contain myself. The library system determined that a book may only be borrowed for 14 days with one optional 14 day renewal, where books had to be returned to be circulated to other regional libraries. Despite the system I every Wednesday went to the library to help the Librarian and she helped me retain the books until there was an enquiry on the book. The first book I returned was “Falconry” by Humphrey Evans as it mostly contained photographs of falconry with little instruction.
On the other hand “A Manual of Falconry” by MH Woodford was an instructional book. In the fear of not being able to get the book again, I basically copied the book by writing it over by pen. The purpose to be able to follow the instructions and craft guidelines in making my falconry furniture.
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