I am ashamed to admit that it has been many years since I was inside this well-known and much loved local landmark

Stirling’s Library has been open since 1904, the foundation stone of which was laid by Mrs Louise Carnegie, on 11th October 1902

Regular subscribers to this blog will be aware of my aversion to modern technology   I’m afraid that I still enjoy the comfort of holding an actual book in my hands   Turning the pages quickly, when the plot gets exciting lost in the moment while living life through the eyes of the author, via their characters

Special favourites will be taken down from the bookshelf time and again   If enough time has passed, between reads, the plot can even still surprise you although that’s probably down to my age!

Imagine the excitement in the town when the Stirling Library first opened   Adults and children now had the opportunity to escape their daily lives with the aid of a simple book   They didn’t even have to buy it!

Thinking back to my younger days, I remember the excitement of looking out my Library Card, choosing a book and then taking it over to the Librarian who would ink their date stamp on the label stuck to the inside page

The wee cardboard card, which indicated which book was being borrowed, would be taken out and put into my Library Card, by the Librarian, thereafter carefully placed into their filing system

Wo betide returning a book late as that would incur a penalty fee!

Being a “Son of the Rock” it initially surprised me how long it’s been since I visited this local landmark   I pass it most weeks with hardly a second glance   I’m sure much has changed in the years since I last visited   Library Cards are most likely now plastic, with barcodes and scanners replacing the wee cards, and date stamps   There might even be a self-scan section like in a supermarket

No doubt in time everything will become digitised, however, I’ll be holding onto my paperbacks for as long as possible   Change may be inevitable but I for one won’t be embracing it  The next time I’m looking for a new book I’ll maybe try the Library   At least their books are free!