Caring on the Home Front - Volunteer memories from World War Two

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Hospital Library Service

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• The first British Red Cross War Library started in August 1914, aiming to supply books and papers to the Navy and Army. Donations of books came from the public and from publishers. They were sorted centrally and dilapidated items were cleaned and repaired. Parcels containing selections of novels, poetry, travel, biography, magazines and games were then sent out at regular intervals. They went to all of the hospital units treating the sick and wounded.
• In peacetime, known as the Hospital Library Service, it continued to supply books to hospitals and sanatoria at home, as well as to military hospitals overseas – in 1935 over half a million items were sent out.
• During World War II the British Red Cross & St. John Hospital Library Service provided books, magazines and illustrated papers for Service patients in hospitals and convalescent homes at home and overseas. Almost all of these were gifts from the public. Throughout the war nearly 3 million items were distributed at home from Hospital Library depots in London and all over the country.
• Trained librarians and assistants in the hospitals visited patients and helped with their book selection. Fiction was in greatest demand, but many special requests were also met which revealed the patients’ hobbies and interests, such as trout fishing, wood carving, mechanical drawing, architecture, music and whales. The Hospital Library Service also supplied books in other languages such as Spanish, Arabic, Chinese, Hindustani, Bengali, Greek and Turkish

• Binding, re-binding and repair work was undertaken by voluntary workers in order to keep the books in good condition.
• The scheme was re-organised as a department of the Joint Committee of the Order of St. John and British Red Cross in 1945 and continued its work within the National Health Service and with the armed forces. In 1970, approximately 1300 hospitals were being supplied and over 3 million books were issued. There were 4,000 volunteers working in hospitals and at the 46 county depots around the country.
• Rising costs and changing priorities meant that in 1996 full responsibility for the service was transferred to St. John Ambulance.