Stuart Mealing

A passionate love of books during childhood gave Stuart Mealing the foundations he needed for a highly successful academic and creative career. Stuart, now 79, has widely exhibited his own artwork alongside teaching Art and Design at the University of Plymouth in Exeter. He became a head of research having taken a post-graduate degree in computing as well as a degree in Fine Art. This led to a new career path as an expert on the overlap the two. He's published a number of books, founded and co-edited Digital Creativity journal, and founded the Centre for Visual Computing at Plymouth University. Now retired, Stuart has returned to his fine art practice…..and also his local library.  

"One of my strongest and fondest childhood memories in Surrey was of weekly visits to my local library from the age of around four years old. By about eight or nine I had exhausted the children's library and, supported by a letter from my parents, was granted permission to use the revered adult library. I had my own three tickets as well as all my parents' tickets so I would cycle the short distance to the library and wheel my bike home laden with bags of books which I would pore over during the week. I tended to read a lot of non-fiction – then as now – sharing other people's worlds, as well as enjoying being transported to fictional places by novels.  

"During my career in higher education I had access to university (and national) libraries and my reading started becoming rather more specialist. I would also source books from secondhand shops and the internet. But after I retired in 2006 I rediscovered my local library. We moved to Appledore in 2017 and I joined their book group, where local writers often guest.  

"It has also been a delight watching my partner's grandchildren (now eight and six) move from learning the shape of letters to realising that they can be combined to express thoughts and ideas – in their cases also accompanied by wonderful illustrations. They both love books and are enthusiastic users of their school library as well as being members of Barnstaple library, so birthday presents are never difficult to find. 

"In recent years I've become aware of the metamorphosis of libraries from being entirely book-centred (and silent!) to becoming social hubs for all ages. To walk through the door at Appledore library is to immediately feel welcomed and supported in a range of activities which stretch beyond language and into the wider community. I have made new friends from book groups and shared new areas of literature with them which has both increased my own sense of belonging and of having a useful place within my own local community."