Guille-Alles Library aims to be island’s top tourist attraction

The library, founded in 1882 by Thomas Guille and Frederick Alles, hosts a variety of services such as access to ebooks, book groups, computer training, a refurbished children’s library, and various events that, management admitted, many islanders do not know about.

‘I think we need to take as many opportunities as we can to raise the profile of the library, because people just don’t know enough about it,’ said managing director Richard Hamilton.

Alongside the services on offer, the library is also home to its ‘Fab Lab’, where islanders are able to book the use of free tools and technology such as a 3D printer, dremel drill, heat press, video and music production software, digital drawing table and a sewing machine.

This provides a creative hub for islanders to develop their skills with no barriers to entry.

To celebrate its 140th birthday, the library is currently running an exhibition that portrays the story of Guille and Alles and how the library has changed over its life.

This is something that the management team is looking to build on, and may look to hold more exhibitions.

‘You can see from the exhibition, and you can see the history, that it’s like having a family heirloom. And once you’ve got it, you care about it, you want to protect it, you want to polish it, you want to move it forward, but you’re also thinking about what you do with it next,’ Mr Hamilton said.

‘We’re expecting quite a lot of interesting feedback and comments, ideas and observations, because the story of Guille and Alles is so remarkable in its own right. It has a number of different facets and elements that we could build on.

‘One of the drivers of the senior management team, one of the things we said in a strategic discussion, was how we want to be the number one tourist destination in the island. Now, that sounds a bit bonkers, but actually, lots of people come to libraries anyway.

‘So what we want to do is make it as rich an experience as we can when they get here. And the exhibition is going to be a great example of that – I’m convinced we’ll have massive interest in it.

‘I’ve worked in business 35 years, and I don’t think I’ve ever seen anywhere from a work perspective with more passion.’