Over the years I've moved house a fair bit and, believing that they are an important part of the…read morecommunity, have always made full use of my local library, wherever I am. Highcliffe Library is, without doubt, the best library I have ever been a member of, which considering it is tiny, is pretty good going. The staff are friendly - nothing ever seems too much trouble for them - and kids are made to feel geniunely welcome, even when they're running up and down! The room at the back of the library is set aside for children's books and has been lovingly decorated with posters and pictures, with bean bags and cushions strewn on the floor to encourage even the most reluctant of young readers. For the real little ones, there's always a tub of crayons and colouring activities which change from week to week, and regular storytime sessions.

Fantastic library based in the civic centre - easy to access from town. Is absolutely huge, with…read moreamazing selection of books, and I think around 50+ computers with internet access. Has reference library downstairs with rows and rows of desks surrounded by books, directories and so on. Also has wide range of magazines and trade directories that you can look through. Just next door is an art gallery and a cafe which does lovely food in a really attractive environment. It also has a small gift shop where you can buy artist's work from as well as stationery, cards etc.

A good library in town with many books, papers, magazines, cds and films. They have computers that…read moreyou can use to access the internet and there is normally a queue to use these. The library is located inside the civic centre and is quite big on three floors.

I have to say I think our library is rather excellent…read more It is over two floors, with the grown up section and reference library on the lower floor. It is roomy and light, with sofas for reading and various chairs scattered around. There is also the audio library, the DVD and CD section. Upstairs is the internet room, next to which is a 'chill zone' - there are magasines here and comfy sofas and seats with a small snack bar. Also here is the childrens library. It's rather noisy! There is a great selection of authors and titles. There are bean bags and small chairs. My daughter knows her way round the library like a pro, and I sometimes lose track of her. But all I have to do is sit down and wait, and I know I'll find her! There is an information point in the far corner of the reference section and in the foyer are various posters giving information about useful clubs, associations, groups and courses.

Poole's central library sits proudly above the bus station and dolphin centre and I the largest in…read morethe area. After recent overhauls and refurbishments the library is now spaciously set out with easy to understand and clearly marked sections. On the first floor is the main library with plenty of room to sit and read for a while as well as the CD and DVD are where for a small charge (and less than video stores) you can borrow movies and music albums. Up stairs is the children's library as well as the internet access room and a small café selling coffees and a few snacks. The staff here are great and always willing to help making visits always pleasurable, with plenty of choices.

This is for the house, not the library, as unfortunately we did not have time to see the library…read moreduring this visit (but it is on the list of things to make time for on a future visit). This was our first time visiting a manor house, and it was amazing. From first walking to the end of the driveway/carriageway and seeing the house for the first time, I was enchanted. Everything is so well-preserved and/or restored so as to give a good sense of what it would have been like to have lived there in Jane Austen's time (they do recognize most of their visitors are Jane Austen fans, but really, if you have any interest in English country estates or manor houses, you can appreciate this house's history and beauty). The staff and volunteers are very passionate and knowledgeable, and they will share as little or as much as you want them to. The gardens are also peaceful to walk through, and worth the time. They also have The Old Kitchen Tearoom. We had not had a chance to eat that morning, so were pretty hungry by the time we finished the tour before walking through the gardens or down the road to Jane Austen's house. The tearoom was pleasant, with both indoor and outdoor seating available. It was a nice day, so we sat outside, and the small courtyard that makes up the outdoor seating was beautiful. We had the egg and bacon brioche sandwiches, which perfectly hit the spot and gave us the energy we needed for our future walks that day. In the future, I would just make sure to make Chawton a full day trip. Yes, it is a village and there is not a lot overall, but this house alone offers so much that you really need to give yourself the time to appreciate it. We were there for about 2 hours, but could have easily spent another 1-2 hours depending if we wanted to spend more time in the gardens, see the library, and/or see the church (which we did try to see, but was locked when we visited). Thank you to the Knight family for opening up your property for us to see, and to all those who have ensured over the years that this place is accessible to appreciate!

Just a short walk (five minutes) up a pretty country lane from Jane Austen's cottage in Chawton,…read moreyou will find a stately surprise in the form of a Tudor manor house, built in the 1500's. Chawton House and estate were owned by Jane's wealthy brother. She called it "The Great House". Today it is a working educational site (the Centre for the Study of Early Women's Writing, in partnership with the University of Southampton), yet is open to the public and a must-visit for Austen fans. Chawton House is one of the Knight estates inherited by Edward Austen, who was lucky enough to be adopted by rich relatives in need of an heir. He changed his surname from "Austen" to "Knight." The manor house interior has been beautifully restored. There is a church on the grounds (Jane's mother and sister are buried in the church yard) - and an attached farm. This grand house is probably where Jane spent a lot of time with family when she needed to get away from the cramped cottage. By the way, it's only recently that Chawton House been available for public tours; it has been a private facility for some 20 years. Happily we can now tour both the interior and the gardens. [Note: if you want to see one of the Pemberley-style estates Jane's brother inherited, go to the palatial Godmersham Park in Kent. Jane would have frequented this house, to visit her brother's family, as well. It's not quite Downton Abbey - but almost!] Finally, for Austenites, it's worth noting that Jane is buried inside Winchester Cathedral; and you can see the house where she died, not far from the Cathedral grounds. Winchester is only 15-20 miles from Chawton.

If I didn't have young kids, I'd probably think this library was completely brilliant and give it 5…read morestars - plenty of free parking right outside plus nearby on-street parking if the car park is full, a smart purpose-built building, lots of internet terminals, and a good choice of books, dvds and magazines. But if you've got young kids it can be a bit of a nightmare! Sure, they've got a fantastic kids section which is nicely kitted out with little sofas and cushions, but there are just too many exits where they can escape! Also, the phrase Mum I need a wee! strikes absolute terror into my heart in this place because there are no toilets here, nor in the near vicinity so the only option you've got is to rush them outside and try to get near the bins so they can discretely relieve themselves not fun! On this basis, though I understand not everyone has these same issues with the place, I can only give it 4 stars.

The volunteers are absolutely lovely, including the older woman and the young man however there's…read moreno clear way to make any community group booking. Was told one week we could make a booking of the community room and then the next week we were told that member of staff can no longer book the room and that we must contact someone else.

Lovely old library, which was under threat of closure some time ago, but fortunately remains! Is…read moresplit into two main sections, one for children and teenagers and the other for adults. Has a lot of character, but also has modern touches such as internet access. Staff here are very friendly and helpful - not long ago they were still issuing tickets for books rather than using barcodes on cards, but they have updated now and as the library never seems to be overly busy, you can be in and out fairly quickly. Main problem is parking as there doesn't seem to be any nearby, and on corner of busy road so difficult to be dropped off.

I have been using this library since it was first opened (and used to use Milton library which is…read morenow the community hall next door). I know many of the staff quite well, and my children enjoyed many activities run by the library over the years. before I had access to a computer I regularly used the computer facilities here. I've always found his library to be very convenient (with a bus stop just outside) and a great place to visit.

Bournemouth Library is the best library in Bournemouth to visit for choice! it has a huge range of…read morebooks on two floors. Upstairs is mostly musical books, good range of cds to hire out, there is even a piano you can play on with headphones. there is a lift for disabled access. Downstairs has a huge film section, along with a really nice kiddies section. There is plenty of books on all topics and plenty of space to study with many computers. It is also good that they have (very clean) toilets - so you can spend quite a while here without leaving. Its a shame they dont have a cafe, the cafe below has now closed which is a shame :( Generally everything is laid outwell and the windows give the place lots of light which is nice. The staff are polite and helpful. Rated 5/5

I love the new library, its very spacious, has so many books and resources and the kids part is…read moremassive and contains toys and things for your kids to do, I used to come for an hour or so and let my son play.

Salisbury Library is the hub of the City with all the information you could need under one roof…read more They have an information point run by the Council where you can make enquiry's. There is a large reference library with lots of room to study, an art gallery, a library full of Dvd's to rent and Cd's. One of the best Children's sections i have ever seen and lots of computers for you to use to surf the net too! You couldnt ask for more!