Heather Robbins worked in the library at Oxford Polytechnic, and then Oxford Brookes, for 49 years. She retired just before Christmas 2023. Here Heather shares some of her memories - including a time before computers, showing Jay Osmond round the library and Christmas trees made out of books.
The early years
“I left Cheney school in the summer of 1974, ready to work, save money and travel. I had six weeks of school holiday before looking for a job. My Mum saw an advert in the Oxford Mail job section. Oxford Polytechnic was looking for two library assistants.
“The idea appealed to me so I applied and was accepted for an interview. The interview was in the Librarian’s office (Mr Smith) and was so informal. All I can remember was being asked who my favourite pop band were. I answered, ‘The Osmonds’.
“A day or two later Mr Smith, on his way home from work on his bike, was at our front door. He told me I was successful and had got the job as a Library Assistant and so I began my 49 years in the library.
“I started work on Monday October 28 1974. There were two part-time jobs: 9.00am to 1.00pm and 1.00 to 5.00pm. A woman with children got the morning job and I had the afternoon one. I was a shy 17-year-old and very nervous on my first day. All I remember is having my tea break with the Deputy Librarian, Mr Gilmore, who used to be a police officer in Rhodesia.
“The library was a lot smaller back then consisting of two rooms on levels one and two with the staff entrance and offices on the ground floor. I used to leave my bike in a covered area under the first floor of the library, which later was made into the music section and included a keyboard with headphones as well as music scores.
“I worked in circulation and there were just four of us in the team. My role was to be on the counter 1.00 till 5.00pm, apart from a tea break.
“In the days before computers, we had the Brown issue system and at busy times when issuing books the students’ tickets and book cards would pile up to be filed later.
“The desk had four sides; one person on returns, one on issue and a subject librarian to answer enquiries. The exit on the fourth side had a turnstile operated by a foot pedal under the desk. Sometimes when no-one was sitting there we would have to run and stamp on the pedal if a student was heading for the exit, otherwise they would crash into the metal turnstile bar, which did happen a few times!
“The Catalogue was housed in polished wooden cabinets on legs. We had drawers for author and subject catalogue with cards listing book details and the class mark. This seems so antiquated looking back!
“One of the tasks of the library assistants was to sit on the first-floor landing and do what was called ‘pasting and styloing’. This was working with a heated electric pen and white tape using both to write the classmark on the spine of the book. We would also fill in the little card which listed author, title and class mark and lived in a pocket inside the book.
“Our high-demand books were in restricted loan. This was in a separate room which used to be the stack and was close to the main desk. The catalogue for this was on a small stand with paper strips listing author, and title of books. Later, large computer catalogue printouts replaced this. This area was not open access and so students would request items and we would get the books from behind us.
“We had a small dumb-waiter lift which would take the books up or down to the other floors to be re-shelved. The trays in the lift were about 24” x 24” and sometimes, when overfilled, the books fell down to the bottom of the shaft and had to be retrieved by the lift engineers.
“In the early years Rag Week was a popular event for the students. One year a goat was brought into the library! Another time students, for a fee, would throw a shaving foam pie into the face of unsuspecting victims. I remember seeing two librarians with the evidence they had been targeted. I did wonder whether it was a colleague or a disgruntled student who had paid for this.”
The middle years
“The library expanded over the years with various extensions. The largest one being known as the east library, the two deputy librarians had offices on the first floor here. Our head librarian had an office on the second floor. Study carrels were built on all three levels. These were bookable, individual, small rooms for students to study in and proved very popular.
“In 1992, Oxford Polytechnic became Oxford Brookes University. Through the years we gained extra sites. The Lady Spencer Churchill College became our Wheatley Campus. Harcourt Hill and Swindon also joined Brookes.
“In 1998, the square format desk was replaced by modular units with one end being lower for wheelchair users. During renovation of this desk area in the summer of 1998 we were relocated to a group study area on the second floor. The fire exit door was opened and this was used as the entrance to the library. The circulation office on the first floor was only accessible through a polythene tunnel during building work.
“Computers, to replace the Brown issue system, were introduced. These basic, black and white screen, stand-alone models were so different to anything we had used before but we soon learnt how to use them. These were later replaced with more up-to-date models.
“Restricted loan became known as Short loan and was open access in a room to the side of the counter, but books were still issued by library staff.
“The first two self-service issue machines were introduced, but were not used very much. I thought they would never be successful, how wrong could I be? Sometime later, two newer models were introduced and students started to use them more.
“The installation of the vending machine containing snacks and drinks outside the library entrance was a welcome addition to the students, but not so for the library staff. On several occasions, the snack or drink became stuck behind the perspex door and we would be called upon to retrieve it with a twelve-inch ruler!
“In 2012, much to the amazement of myself and a few of my colleagues (and even more to my 17-year-old self!), Jay Osmond, from the pop group I mentioned at my interview, had become a friend and wanted to see where I worked. His love of libraries was evident as I showed him around our old site on Gipsy Lane.
“Throughout my 49 years, reservations have been my main job. In the early days students would fill in a card requesting a book. I would handwrite a list from these cards and check the shelves. There would be 12 to 15 books to look for. This increased considerably during the years (but became a computer-generated list).
“In those early days, any book not found on the shelves had to be searched for in our many trays of tickets of books on loan. We had to handwrite a postcard asking the borrower to return the book (never envisioning a time when a computer would automatically send such notifications).
“The reserved books were kept behind the counter. I remember there being a continuous stream of students collecting their books. I used to think we would wear a path in the carpet where we went backwards and forwards so many times to pick books from the shelves!
“Sometimes the queue would stretch all the way down the library and out onto the landing. I loved those days of serving the students. We would get to know the names and faces of our readers, something long lost in the new library.
“As well as issuing books, we also took part in Red Nose Day/Comic Relief to raise money. We wore red noses at the counter and had charity boxes for donations.
“During my working years, I took advantage of the staff being able to do modules free of charge. I did two black-and-white photography modules and one colour one which I really enjoyed. Through doing these modules, I became friends with the photographic technician Lyn.
“Lyn later did a day release course in London and I was asked if I could work every Wednesday to stand in for her. Luckily, I was given permission and rearranged my library hours. I worked there for a year, preparing the darkroom each week and helping the students print their photographs. I loved it.
“I also earned extra money, inputting information for the Articles in the hospitality and tourism database, working for a subject librarian.”
The later years
“In 2012, work began on a new library further along the London Road. The team, now known as Lending Services, were invited to look around the building site. Wearing hard hats, protective eyewear, gloves and plastic shoe coverings, we were shown around where offices, shelves and study spaces would be. It was difficult to imagine it being finished when there were no windows, doors or completed rooms.
“In February 2014 our full boxes of belongings were sent across, unpacked and we gradually settled into our new office. The library opened on 26 February 2014.
“After six months, there was a restructure with voluntary severance. We lost around 18 staff. It was unsettling as we lost several staff from our office, but we worked well as a team and settled into our brand-new library.
“Over almost 10 years in JHBB, I continued being a member of the marketing group, taking the notes for our meetings and organising the Freshers’ Fair stall, the freebies and the rota for the stall on the day.
“The Green Impact group and Hedgehog Friendly Campus became new ventures for me to join. Within the former, in 2022, I introduced the collection bins for soft plastics to library staff offices. This was a follow-on to the Co-op’s initiative for recycling. I collected 54 sacks of plastics during the first year.
“I also joined Lisa Hill from the graphic design team, helping her with displays and activities in the Welcome desk area and made over 100 butterflies to adorn the walls of the stairs for several months in 2022. An activity that our students and the summer school pupils contributed towards.
“At Christmas, we built a Christmas tree from red and green books, adorned with lights and paper angels. This is always popular with the students and has now become a Christmas tradition.
“As well as my long-standing job of working on the reservations team. I created a weekly rota for the Welcome desk and produced the minutes for our fortnightly team meetings, two tasks which I loved doing.
“So, 49 years have passed in a job that I’ve truly loved and never dreamed would fill my entire working life. I’ve seen many changes, learnt so much and made lifelong friends.
“I’m so very grateful that fate, and the advert in the Oxford Mail, have given me opportunities, experiences and happy memories that will remain with me forever.”