Jack Hancock
Jack Hancock is a regular visitor to his local library in Buckfastleigh, where he lives with his partner and child. The 43-year-old, who works for a small company manufacturing pewter giftware, has passed on his lifelong love of libraries to his daughter.
"Throughout my life I have always made joining my local library a priority whenever I move to a new area. I have been using libraries since I was a child as I have a lifelong passion for reading and literature. My use of the library is almost solely for getting books out. I like to scan the shelves looking for new inspiration as well as using the app to reserve specific titles I have in mind. My favourite genres are literary fiction, classics and contemporary Japanese authors such as Mieko Kawakami and Haruki Murakami. I read the English translations but I would love to be able to read the original texts in Japanese.
"My daughter is five now. We introduced her to the library as pretty much as soon as she opened her eyes. She loves books on so many levels. The stories, pictures and knowledge within them, and also the comfort and connection of being read to by her parents and family. She loves visiting the library and talking to library staff member Megan about the latest reading challenge such as the Secret Book Quest; she's completed many of them! She got her gold certificate for reading 100 books and we put it in a frame on her bedroom wall. She also loves collecting the stickers.
"She also likes getting recommendations for graphic novels written for children and has a passion for making her own books. We help her with the binding and writing down the story as she tells it and she illustrates the pictures. She makes them for herself and as presents for her friends.
"I feel very lucky to still have access to a local library with professional, knowledgable staff. I read about them being shutdown all the time, marginalised and undervalued and it is a terrible shame. They are one of society's most valuable assets and we should be proud of them!"
