Mr Quiet is probably to thank for Adam Bayfield’s career with books, though this realisation only hit years later, when he was revisiting his favourite childhood tale with his six-year-old son.
Guernsey-born Adam has worked at the Guille-Alles Library for 15 years. He went to school at Elizabeth College, and after studying history at university, he moved back and secured his ‘dream job’ as a librarian in Market Square.
He is now head of its marketing and customer services.
‘I was always a big reader as a child,’ he said.
‘There’s so many books that I remember vividly from my childhood. From a very early age, it was the Mr Men books I really enjoyed. I loved that there were so many of them, and you could build a collection. I’m now re-reading them with my children and it’s really nice. As I started reading Mr Quiet to my son, I suddenly remembered that it was my favourite of the series – but couldn’t rememberer why. Then I got to the end, and Mr Quiet goes and gets a job working in the library. So, that was a bit of a light bulb moment. It’s quite funny to realise that I’ve lived out that Mr Quiet dream.’
It is the National Year of Reading, and Adam said that the campaign hopes to re-inspire reading for pleasure, to remind people that reading does not have to feel like a chore. It can be an indulgence – Go All In, as its tag line suggests.
Losing yourself in a novel you cannot put down, and reading stories with your children and loved ones are some of life’s biggest – and somewhat forgotten – joys. Adam hopes more islanders will rediscover this joy, and share it with their youngsters in 2026.
‘Being told that you need to read more can be a bit like being told you need to eat your vegetables. But that just means you haven’t found the right thing to read yet,’ he said.
‘If you put me in a room full of books on Formula One, nothing will make me want to read them – I’m just not interested. Find the thing you love and you’ll want to read it. Reading takes you all-in, deeper than anything else can. And there’s such joy in sharing reading. It’s a bonding experience for parents and their children. But actually, for anybody – reading aloud and being read to is a really nice experience, whatever your age. And if you start a book, you don’t have to finish it – people often feel this with books, maybe more so than any other media. It’s happened to me before, but it just makes you lose motivation. If you’re not enjoying it, stop and try something else. There’s so many books to explore.’
Unlike in the Mr Men tale, the Guille-Alles Library is not quiet. Rather a place of active learning, exploring interests and community support, things that that the public library was designed for, and continues to flourish at.
It was founded more than 140 years ago, in 1882 by childhood friends, Thomas Guille and Frederick Alles. Inspired by a library in New York, the friends had a revolutionary vision to make their institution a hub for education and culture in the island.
‘We’re so indebted to the library’s founders who left this amazing legacy for the island with the building here,’ said Mr Bayfield.
‘I fell in love with the library as soon as I started working here, it’s an amazing place to work. You see the impact the service has on people, and how it’s really making a difference to the community. It’s very rewarding. I was amazed by the range of services and all the different ways that they support people. The library is for everyone, and that’s something we consciously work on ensuring. The service is always evolving. Mr Guille and Mr Alles were amazingly forward-thinking people and they wrote this constitution for the library which said, “we know that in 100 years’ time, the library service is going to be very different – it will need to be – because the world will be very different. We want the library to always adapt to the changing needs of the community.” So, that’s what we try to do. It’s a privilege to work in this building.’
Along with about 100,000 books, the library now keeps a collection of e-books, audiobooks and high-tech machinery, such as 3D printers.
‘Something that Mr Guille and Mr Alles couldn’t have envisaged, but we like to think they’d approve,’ said Mr Bayfield.
The library is part of a local steering group that conducted a reading survey over Christmas. More than 4,000 children and 2,000 adults took part. The findings showed that more people are reading for pleasure in Guernsey than in the UK – where the hobby has dropped to an all-time low. 39% of local children said they read every day – or, almost every day – outside of school, compared to 19% in the UK. Mr Bayfield added that the level of footfall in the library has increased in recent years, with more books being borrowed. It currently has about 20,000 members.
‘We’re really pleased with those numbers, because reading is just so good for your wellbeing,’ said Mr Bayfield.
‘I always feel better when I’ve read something. Lots of people say they’d love to read more, but only tend to do it on holiday. And I think that’s fascinating, because holiday is when we do the thing that we most want to do. It’s unrealistic to think that people are going to stop using their phone, but maybe just try to actively carve out time to pick up a book at home. It’s a habit that’s both good for you – as reading has all these amazing benefits – but it’s also just enjoyable.’
The invention of the Kindle has not swayed Mr Bayfield’s appetite for a physical, soothing book.
‘I love the feel of a book, I guess it’s harking back to childhood,’ he said.
‘I like being around books – obviously I work in a library – so I am all the time. But I like having books at home too. There’s something kind of calming and comforting about books. I do enjoy listening to audiobooks as well, it allows me to be doing something else, like the dishwasher. But it’s not reading. I try to have a book with me as much as possible. Lemony Snicket said, “never trust anyone who has not brought a book with them,” and I do find it helps, you can snatch 10 minutes here or there, and it really does improve your day.’
Mr Bayfield is currently reading The Safekeep by Yael van der Wouden. Set in the Netherlands in the early 1960s, the creepy tale follows a woman as she unveils secrets about her family history. As a man, reading through a woman’s perspective, Mr Bayfield remarked on another part of the magic of reading – its ability to create empathy.
Many male authors write brilliantly, in first person, as female characters, and vice versa. He said this will be down to them being well read.
‘To be a great writer, you have to be a great reader,’ he said.
‘Having read a lot of novels, they’ll have built this ability to empathise and put themselves in other people’s shoes. That’s why it’s super important for our future community, that children are encouraged to read for pleasure. It makes a massive difference to their prospects at school, and their future career, but also for creating well-rounded people. It absolutely develops empathy. It’s a window into the world, an amazing way to understand other people. So this campaign is so important for children, but it’s absolutely for all ages. Our children copy us. They learn through our behaviour. We’ve got to show them they way.’
One book he thinks everybody should read is To Kill a Mockingbird.
‘I first read it when I was about 25 and thought “yeah, this is a classic for a reason”,’ he said.
‘Luckily, it wasn’t something that was forced on me in school, so I didn’t relate it to homework. It’s a really beautiful and powerful book. If you haven’t read it, don’t be put off, give it a go.’
