Brighton & Hove’s much-loved library service is facing proposed cuts, including closures and reduced opening hours, even at the heart of it all, Jubilee Library. As the council invites public feedback on the future of our libraries, writer Anjali Singh shares a love letter to Jubilee Library, reminding us why these spaces matter so deeply.
What do the following things have in common: a jigsaw puzzle, Railway Magazine, free sanitary products, strawberry matcha iced lattes, advice on intellectual property, mindful lego mosaic making, the TV show Succession, and a 16th century book of magic rumoured to be bound in human skin?
Answer: They can all be found at Jubilee Library.
What a wonderful thing Jubilee Library is. Where else can you peruse an exhibition about the experience of living in temporary accommodation, print a document, and browse volumes of award-winning poetry, while eating a sandwich? Where else indeed in central Brighton can you sit in comfort for as long as you want without having to buy something, and where can you actually bring in your own food and drink from outside?
There’s an essential beautiful goodness at the heart of all public libraries – this is for everyone, they say, whoever you are, this place is for you. They are intentional treasure troves of learning, thought, knowledge and ideas, and they offer their riches to everyone, free of charge, and in such an unassuming way that we don’t even think about how extraordinary that is, or how rare. But you don’t even have to like books to make use of libraries – simply as spaces that are open to all, they’re invaluable.
I’m pretty sure that a good portion of the people in Jubilee Library at any one time aren’t there to take out books. They’re there to sit in the sofas and chairs near the enormous windows – or more accurately, the huge glass wall that is the front of the building, where you can look out at the flagstones of Jubilee Square and the artsy benches and enjoy a general sense of space and light. They’re there to eat their meal deals and meet other people and sometimes to read the paper – no paywall here, guys! – and there’s always a table that says ‘this table is reserved for jigsaw puzzles, do not move anything’, and there’s a half-done puzzle on it, and sometimes someone is working on it, and other times it’s just there, the ongoing project of some mystery collective.
Jubilee Library was the first of Brighton & Hove’s 13 libraries to be officially recognised, back in 2019, as a Library of Sanctuary – a library that plays a crucial role in welcoming refugees and people seeking sanctuary into our communities. Now all 13 have the status, and have a persistent commitment to supporting sanctuary seekers, including regularly hosting cultural events to create better understanding between the settled communities of the city and people who have arrived more recently. Jubilee Library hosts the weekly Story Tree sessions, which help refugees to improve their English by reading and talking about a new story each week as a group.
And that’s just one of the many groups that meet at Jubilee Library. The Network of International Women meet each Wednesday morning to sew, knit, craft and share experiences. They are responsible for the wonderful Illuminate Tapestry, hanging from the mezzanine at the library – a colourful patchwork of images exploring the themes of identity and belonging. There is a knitting group, dementia-friendly music making, storytime for early years kids during term time, and ‘baby boogie’ twice a month. There’s a Writer’s Space the first Wednesday of each month, and Mindful Lego Mosaic Making on the last Thursday. Every now and then there’s a concert.
There’s a Business and IP Centre that provides help and advice for anyone starting a business. There are leaflets about adult learning programmes, and there are health drop in sessions for anyone experiencing homelessness. There are free sanitary products for anyone that needs them, a machine that distributes free STI testing kits, and now in the reception area there’s a council help desk. The mezzanine level, as well as housing the Business Centre, contains meeting rooms that can be hired out. You can even buy things – at the moment there’s a soft toy sale, up to 75% off, a stand selling greeting cards, and another stand selling things including emergency ponchos and bike lights. From 10am to 4pm, Monday to Saturday, you can also get a drink or snack at Cafe Domeneca, a lovely non-profit cafe staffed by young people with learning disabilities.
And then we get to the more classic ‘library’ aspect: borrowing things. You can borrow from shelves of DVDs, and audiobooks, and CDs of music – there’s a whole section on local Brighton bands and labels. There is an excellent range of graphic novels, and there are two whole aisles of crime. The children’s area features ‘The Wall of A Thousand Stories’, a whole wall with beautifully crafted ceramic objects by artist Kate Malone popping out of a rich blue background. There’s a snack area and – most charmingly of all – little child-sized alcoves that kids can pop into with their books, many of them lit up by fairy lights. The library also has a ‘young person’s area’ specifically for 13-19 yr olds, where ‘everyone is welcome to browse the books’, the sign says, ‘but the seating is reserved for young people’. This is a library that conscientiously cares for everyone in the community.
And it contains books. Books! Go upstairs to the non-fiction area and have a wander. You can dive into the dissolution of the monasteries, and the legacy of Aristotle, and mindfulness for mums, and spirituality in the time of Covid. A sweep of your gaze takes in Gary Younge’s Dispatches from the Diaspora, the origins of Trumpism, treatises on autocracy, and Knits for Little Ones. Winners of the Pulitzer and Orwell Prizes offer their glorious insight for the taking. Literally thousands of writers are waiting to talk to you about love in an open marriage, or how to broaden therapy and self-care beyond the white, western narrative, or about the politics of land ownership. How glorious to be surrounded by passion and by depth and breadth of thought! Everywhere there are critiques and plans, dreams and love letters, tasty morsels of ‘ooh, that’s interesting’.
I didn’t realise, until I was poking around in preparation for writing this, that there are music scores in Jubilee Library. Did you know you could borrow books of songs arranged for guitar and piano? You could go and get the folk songs of Scotland, or Irish ballads, or easy piano arrangements of Elton John songs. Or Nina Simone, or Rihanna. Or the score for the Marriage of Figaro or any number of musicals. This was a revelation to me. What an absolute boon for musicians of any level.
At the back of the upper floor, I also discovered, are the ‘rare books and special collections’, which you have to make an appointment to see. These include a first edition of Samuel Johnson’s ‘A Dictionary of the English Language’, work from 18th century explorer Captain James Cook’s three voyages, and 3500 early Greek and Latin texts donated by a friend of Thomas Jefferson. And there is the ‘Trinum Magicum’, printed in 1573 – a little book of magic supposedly bound in human skin!
Brighton People: Ecstatic Dance Brighton
I would be remiss not to mention that Jubilee Library has won awards – a stonking 14, in fact! These include the Prime Minister’s Better Public Building Award, the Royal Institute of British Architects Regional Award and the International Green Apple Award for the Built Environment and Architectural Heritage. The building is officially fantastic.
Jubilee Library is open every day – most days till 5pm, and till 7pm on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
So consider this your nudge to go and visit, and if you haven’t yet, to become a member. This magnificent Brighton landmark quietly brims with treasures, and they are there for us all.
Have Your Say On The Future Of Brighton & Hove’s Libraries
Address: Jubilee Street, Brighton, BN1 1GE
Website: Brighton and Hove Libraries
Introducing A Love Letter To… – a new We Love Brighton series celebrating the places, people and moments that our writers and readers adore. From libraries to lidos, if there’s a corner of Brighton & Hove you love, we’d love to hear from you. Fancy writing your own love letter? Get in touch at hello [at] welovebrighton [dot] com.
