By Lauren Evans

With Durham experiencing a sea of new faces, it would be remiss to ignore the budding bookworms among us and induct them into Durham’s diverse literary sphere. From Saddler Street’s double-whammy of Waterstones, to the warm Collected Bookshop nestling on the River Wear, Durham’s abundance of bookshops, events, and libraries provide a whole world for our newest influx of readers to explore.

To kick start our bookish tour, we shall meander up Saddler Street towards Durham’s multiple Waterstones stores. With a university edition store and regular Waterstones, you can find pretty much any book you’ll ever need – be it the ever-expensive set texts for your course, or a lighthearted leisure read. Whilst a convenient staple for myself, as an English Student drowning in course texts, Waterstones’ rather minimal student discount (5% if you grab a student loyalty card) makes it a rather dear alternative to some of Durham’s second-hand stores; but has the added benefit of a 2-hour Click and Collect for those in desperate need of the books they forget to read for next week’s tutorial.

Delicacy of the collections aside, both Palace Green and Cosin’s Library are a perfect glimpse into Durham’s literary and academic past

Heading upward from cobbled Saddler Street, we find ourselves at Palace Green Library – home to the remarkable Cosin’s Library, one of the earliest Public Libraries of the North East. Spanning books of all subjects, languages, and ages, many of these collections require special handling, as do many of the books within Palace Green Library itself. Delicacy of the collections aside, both Palace Green and Cosin’s Library are a perfect glimpse into Durham’s literary and academic past, whilst also providing one heck of an atmospheric study space.

 Stepping out past the iconic Cathedral, and off North Bailey altogether, we can trudge up towards a university-wide haunt, the Bill Bryson Library – or more affectionately known as the Billy B. Consulting any student from any degree, you will find everyone has pulled at least one attempted all-nighter amongst the stacks of the Billy B, or have accumulated several loyalty cards worth of their coffees before realising they had loyalty cards to begin with. All the course texts, journals, secondary reading, and articles you could ever need can be found on these hallowed shelves…if you can get there before your coursemates.

Dropping back down onto the Bailey, we cannot ignore the plethora of second-hand bookstores that litter both Market Square to North Road. From Oxfam, People’s Bookshop, and Market Hall, to the shelves of the various charity shops that punctuate North Road, there are plenty of options for a much more cost-friendly read; with the added possibility of second-hand textbooks and anthologies from previous students!

he Lit & Phil is the largest independent library outside of London; featuring a beautiful interior that has you lost in the building, as well as the books

Another City Centre gem that deserves an article of its own, is the Collected Bookstore situated along the Riverwalk. Acting as both a cafe, bar, and an independent bookstore, Collected is a remarkable store featuring female authors and voices, in a welcoming contemporary space. They offer both events to meet authors, including Durham University’s very own Edith Hall, late-night books and beats sessions, and a bookclub joined by authors and experts alike. One of my personal favourites, this store is perfect for those who love their book with a brew.

The final destination on our tour features a library not in Durham at all, but a ten-minute train ride into the heart of Newcastle. The Lit & Phil is the largest independent library outside of London; featuring a beautiful interior that has you lost in the building, as well as the books. The perfect place for someone in need of a dark academia-themed study session, they also offer a free Behind-The-Books tour that takes you inside Newcastle’s most historic library.

Image Credit: Collected Durham via Opt Indie Books