Books

My daughter has always been an avid reader since I introduced her to the library when she was around 2 years old. She has accumulated hundreds of books in her own library but continues to use the public libraries in Kent and elsewhere (for specialist collections).

When she was 16, she got a job as a Saturday assistant at a Kent library. Every Saturday she would come home with an armful of books. She would browse the shelves during her morning tea break and start reading during the lunch hour.

She applied to art school and was accepted by both St Martins (now Central St Martins - University of the Arts London) and The Slade (UCL). The interviewing panel at The Slade was so impressed by her knowledge of contemporary art that she was exempted from having to attend the Foundation Year of a 4-year honours degree course.

Our first emotion when she was accepted by The Slade was gratitude to Kent Libraries. We would never have been able to afford to buy her those expensive art books (easily £50 on average) and she would never have been able to learn as much about her chosen subject at school. Indirectly, the books she read helped to save the cost of attending the Foundation Year, which at that time, was not covered by her Student Loan.

Thank you, Kent Libraries!