Cruising Association - Library at CA House

[ChattingLil]

As many of you know, I am the volunteer librarian who will open up out of hours. So, if any members are in London at the weekends, or evenings, and wanted to pop in for a looksee, they can get in touch with the CA or me via PM here.

Scheduled openings for 2015:

Saturday mornings from 10 to noon on 31st Jan, 28th Feb, 28th March, 25th April, 28th Nov, 19th Dec
Tuesday evenings from 6.30 to 8.30 on 26th May, 23rd June, 21st July, 25th Aug, 22nd Sep, 27th Oct

I will try to remember to post reminders!

 

[jerrytug]

Thanks for the reminder! I dream of having the spare time to peruse the hallowed shelves..

 

[dom]

What a kind and generous offer. I'd love to come and visit and can't think of a better way to spend a rainy Saturday morning! .

 

[[70521]]

Does the CA do a postal libary service to members? (I am not a member)

That sparks another question, is the catalogue online and available for all? It might help in my search for some specific information.

 

[ChattingLil]

Does the CA do a postal libary service to members? (I am not a member)

That sparks another question, is the catalogue online and available for all? It might help in my search for some specific information.

I know they will post materials to members (depending on size and reasonableness) and I think there is an online catalogue, but I will confirm that soon.

 

[[70521]]

I know they will post materials to members (depending on size and reasonableness) and I think there is an online catalogue, but I will confirm that soon.

Thanks Lil

 

[jimbaerselman]

Does the CA do a postal libary service to members? (I am not a member)

That sparks another question, is the catalogue online and available for all? It might help in my search for some specific information.

Read all about it at: http://www.cruising.org.uk/public/library

Of course, the search and loan facilities are only available to members. I dialled up "Heikell" and found 92 entries - one each of all his up to date pilot books (not to be loaned out) plus further copies for loan (some of previous issues).

 

[[70521]]

Read all about it at: http://www.cruising.org.uk/public/library

Of course, the search and loan facilities are only available to members.

Thanks Jim.

Drat another research tool blocked

 

[G12]

Thanks Jim.

Drat another research tool blocked

It's not blocked, you just need to join....

 

[[70521]]

It's not blocked, you just need to join....

Well not public then

Sadly, don't see joining as value for money just to get access to their library catalogue.

 

[G12]

Well not public then

Sadly, don't see joining as value for money just to get access to their library catalogue.

You can get decent discounts on quite a few things too, the magazine isn't bad, the website is very very informative, the CAptain's mate app is useful....

 

[Twister_Ken]

Well not public then

Sadly, don't see joining as value for money just to get access to their library catalogue.

There are many other benefits - I seem to remember 14 last time I counted them up. Not all benefits appeal to all prospective members, and like you, I wouldn't have joined just for the sake of the library catalogue.

 

[Angele]

There are many other benefits - I seem to remember 14 last time I counted them up. Not all benefits appeal to all prospective members, and like you, I wouldn't have joined just for the sake of the library catalogue.

This came up in the "CA - membership or non-membership" thread I posted about 6 weeks ago: http://www.ybw.com/forums/showthread.php?416256, and to which you (Ken), Jim and Lil all posted. Sticking just to the general category headings you listed 18 different types of discounts. (see #42 of that thread).

The problem is that the CA doesn't publish what these discounts are and so it is hard for me (and others) to quantify how much of the (rather steep!) membership fee these discounts would defray in my/our specific circumstances. In that thread you gave some sense of what those discounts are, but there isn't enough publicly available information for me to assess their value to me.

The RYA doesn't seem to have a problem telling the world exactly what discounts are available to its members. They are there on their website for all to see. For some reason the CA take a different view. They have to be kept secret.

Yes, I could ring up or pop in and ask someone to go through them in detail. But, tbh, it is easier just to be a non-member. A bit of a shame really, as I could probably be persuaded to join if the info was at my fingertips and I could readily assess what they were worth to me.

Edit: I attended a seminar at the CA a couple of weeks ago and found it excellent. But, I didn't have to be a member to go.

 

[[70521]]

You can get decent discounts on quite a few things too, the magazine isn't bad, the website is very very informative, the CAptain's mate app is useful....

Thanks G12, I understand that there are other things that are useful, but for my own intellectual interest I am researching a topic and the library catalogue might have saved me some time in finding out suitable books and papers that I could order from the British Library; hence just wanted to use it as a research tool.