Being in the capital
London is one of the greatest cities in the world. As result of its history it is probably one of the most culturally diverse. It has wonderful open spaces, as well as exciting new architecture side by side with important historical buildings. There are world-class museums, art galleries and theatres, well as an amazing variety of shops, restaurants, markets, bars, clubs and live music. A large proportion of the museums and art galleries are free. And there are numerous free music and cultural festivals, especially in the summer. Just put ‘London festivals’ into Google!
Numerous opportunities and resources for the library trainee
Range of libraries – London has an enormous number and range of different libraries, some of which are visited during the trainee programme
Access to training courses and free lectures – In addition to the trainee programme a large number of courses are organised by CILIP and CPD 25 in London, many of which are aimed at, or particularly useful for, aspiring librarians. Also the University of London and it colleges, and other organisations regularly hold lectures in the evening which are open to the public at no cost. The trainee blog is a useful way of passing on information regarding lectures that may be interesting.
A number of library schools – there are a number of established library schools in London, including UCL, City University and London Metropolitan University who often hold open evenings so you are on the spot to be able to go and talk to lecturers about their courses.
Established training programme - the training programme is well established and has been running for a number of years. Previous years trainees get invited to events and it is possible to contact them to get their views for example on different library schools or aspects of the training programme.
Living in London
The size of London can be daunting. Historically much of what is now Greater London was once villages and a lot of the different areas of London still retain their own individuality. London can be expensive. But cheaper accommodation is available. Look at where you are going to be working then decide which areas of Greater London are in easy commuting distance. Use the maps on the Transport for London website to help. This website can also help you work out how long your potential journey would take. The University of London housing website has a very useful area guide with a postcode map and a list of the areas most popular with University of London students.
Also try Net-Lettings, which has a map with flats' price ranges and also the information about local estate agents.
For more see our linklist under Know the web.