“A book, tea and a chat” with Patricia Andreoli-Jones of the Bibliothèque Anglophone de Meylan
August 31st, 2009 | Published in Features, Info & Advice, Interviews | 2 Comments
Patricia Andreoli-Jones at the Bibliothèque Anglophone de Meylan
Patricia Andreoli-Jones set up and runs the Bibliothèque Anglophone de Meylan. James Dalrymple of Grenoble Life talked to her about the history of the library, the book collection and her international background.
Grenoble Life: You have an interesting international background, please tell us more …
Patricia Andreoli-Jones: I was born in 1956, Bromley, UK. Having been brought up from 1962 in Vevey, Switzerland, I emigrated to Sydney, Australia, in 1981, and then Munich, Germany in 1988, where I met a good-looking French guy (Jean-Marc Andreoli) in 1992 and married him in 1993. We moved to Meylan, near Grenoble, in September 1993 for Jean-Marc’s job, before having two children, Lauren and Julien, in 1993 and 1995.
Having worked in Switzerland, Australia and Germany as a trilingual secretary, upon arrival in Meylan I passed the TEFL and taught English to adults in our local association and in language schools, and to children in primary schools, before founding the Bibliothèque Anglophone de Meylan (BAM), a non-profit association.
GL: When and why was the library created?
PA: I opened the library in October 2006 with 500 books. Our American neighbour and friend of 10 years moved back to the US, leaving a couple of hundred books, and I had quite a few myself. I’d been looking for a place to start a library for over a year without success, when I met the late director of the ARIES computer graphics schools, who immediately said yes with great enthusiasm. He saw it as a great opportunity for his students to have easy access to the English language, so it would serve two purposes, the students and the general public.
GL: How many books are there and how were they acquired?
PA: There are over 2000 books, many donated, some bought at local bookshops but also at the Geneva English Library twice-yearly book-sale, and at Hay-on-Wye in England, a very small town famous for its 30 second-hand bookshops.
GL: What type of books can we find in the collection?
PA: Novels, romance, thrillers, crime, science-fiction, non-fiction, for children, teenagers and adults. All are catalogued on the website.
GL: How do you update the collection?
PA: When a popular author publishes a new book I try to buy it. Or on request. My favorite subscribers are those who have the same tastes as I and will ask for exactly the book I was going to get anyway! [laughs]
BAM books!
GL: Who comes to the library?
PA: French and English-speaking people, families and employees from Inovallée’s 200 companies. Some work in the same company but meet for the first time at the library.
GL: Does the library host activities and how can people get information about them?
PA: The library is too small to host activities, but anything new such as a didgeridoo party [playing and listening to the didgeridoo is one of Patricia's hobbies], or an Open Door day is advertised on our website. The catalogue is also online, as well as a photo and press gallery, a page with recipes specialising in English and Welsh cakes, and sweets which can be eaten at the Open Door days during the year. Anyone with good recipes is encouraged to email me, I’ll add them to the site.
GL: What advice would you give to book-loving expats new to the city?
PA: Although a book, tea and a chat at the BAM in Meylan is a must on a regular basis, I would also send them to The Bookworm Café at the Rue St Laurent in Grenoble where they can buy second-hand books. And the English library of Babel, in the convent of the Minimes is an experience not to be missed. The catalogue is not computerised but the library’s manager Clare Smears knows exactly what’s where.
GL: Can you recommend a good new book from the collection?
PA: I’ve just bought David Lodge’s ‘Deaf Sentence’ which to my mind is his best up to now, and many other new books are on order, such as ‘The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society’ by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows, or Liz Whittaker’s ‘The Dreamstealer’s Trilogy’ – a Welsh tale for children (Liz happens to be my first cousin!).
GL: What’s next for the library?
PA: We are re-opening on 31st August, We will be at Forum des Associations in Meylan (Saturday 12 September, gymnase des Buclos), Stall 53, from 10 am to 5 pm. There will also be an Open Door day with ARIES on 26 September, from 10 am to 5 pm.
GL: What are the opening hours and membership terms for the library?
PA: Monday: 10.30 – 12.30, Wednesday: 10.00 – 11.00, Thursday: 11.45 -14.00. Membership is 10 euros per family per year.
September 21st, 2009 at 10:29 pm (#)
[...] in the city. I especially recommend Patricia Andréoli’s excellent library in Meylan – BAM (Bibliothèque Anglophone de Meylan). Also the newly opened Bookworm Café on rue St. Laurent where you can browse the second hand books [...]
December 8th, 2009 at 8:56 am (#)
[...] Patricia Andreoli-Jones meets light sculptor Sanford Kogan in advance of the opening of his exhibition at MK’ Gallery in Grenoble this week. [...]