When I was in senior high school I used to hang out at the State Library a lot of weekends. Ostensibly this was to do “research” on my modern history assignments, but in reality there was a pretty buzzy (if geeky) social scene happening there among teenagers. It warms the cockles, therefore, to see that Swansea Library in the UK is now running monthly singles nights.
It might seem a little dorky but in truth I think it’s really special. Before I met my husband (at the World Science Fiction Convention in Melbourne – most creative jibe wins a prize) I used to ponder the conundrum of how to meet prospective partners – since I’ve mostly worked in small teams, it was just a little incestuous considering work colleagues and there was no way I was hanging out in pubs and nightclubs. At the library at least there’s a higher likelihood you’ll meet a book lover and maybe even one who likes your fave genre! So don your pink button and head down to your local library, join a book club even, you never know who you might meet…
Kate Eltham is a writer and creative industries professional based in Brisbane, Australia. She is Chief Executive Officer of 
kate.eltham {at} gmail.com
{ 7 comments… read them below or add one }
This is beautiful Kate! A truly genius idea… I hope it becomes a world wide phenomenon. Nice to have you back at the keyboard!
G
Thanks Graham, it’s nice to be back. Wouldn’t it be great as a worldwide phenomenon? Soon we’ll be having library weddings and cute little trends… “I met my partner in Crime & Mystery, between Ian Rankin and J.D. Robb”
I’d've never met my wife any *near* Stephen King, although if I took a detour via Jane Austen or George Sand we may have rubbed shoulders.
I met my Rob at a book launch. One of Terry Dowling’s if I remember correctly.
The writer’s pattern emerges. Since you were attending the meeting I met my other half at … then some nice lady & he got me roped into some small little thing called Conjure….
We’d have been in different sections of the library if that had been the pathway.
On a completely different train or boat of thought, after some of the stories being a library worker (big university one, late at night)……….
On a completely different train or boat of thought, after some of the stories being a library worker (big university one, late at night)……….