Two smiling women in glasses shake hands in front of a computer screen, while one cuts a ribbon. One woman is elderly, with short grey hair and an orange, patterned dress, while the other is middle-aged, with shoulder-length dark hair and a green dress.
Pictured: Chief Librarian Sue Laker and Express Editor Laura Clayton.

Guernsey’s national history library – the Priaulx Library – is a wonderful old building crammed with leather-bound books, microfilm of parish records, and local newspapers going back hundreds of years.

It has also now added a less dusty digital publication to its collection – Bailiwick Express.

This means anyone in Guernsey can now access both our Guernsey and Jersey articles – including premium content – for free as part of their research by visiting the library.

Express Editor Laura Clayton said: “It’s so exciting seeing Express here, surrounded by so much Guernsey history.

“The Priaulx Library is such a genuinely wonderful part of the Bailiwick’s culture and an incredible resource for people from the island and all over the world.”

Express has been added to the library’s state-of-the-art bank of computers, which has recently been mounted on electric sitting/standing desks to make them more accessible for wheelchair users and those who wish to change position while working.

Chief Librarian Sue Laker told Express visitors wouldn’t need to book to use the computers, but if anyone needed assistance or the password the librarians would be “happy to help”.

An old, fragile book is held open by two hands. The exposed title page reads “SECRETS MERVEILLEUX DE LA MAGIE NATURELLE DU PETIT ALBERT,” printed in French with red and black ink. The pages are yellowed and worn, and the cover appears to be a modern replacement binding.
Pictured: The library’s collection of books includes several, supposedly cursed, grimoires – books of everyday magic.

The library, at Candie Gardens in St Peter Port, is open from 09:30 to 17:00 on weekdays, excluding public holidays, and the first Saturday of each month.

Ms Laker said the library was “here to make information as accessible as possible, so having access to Bailiwick Express really helps”.

She explained: “In the old days, we would have been relying on hard copy newspapers or microfilm, but obviously digital versions are much better for people with impaired sight and free to access.”

Accessible archive

Ms Laker said one challenge with online-only newspapers like Express – which is owned by the same company as the printed Jersey Evening Post – was keeping an archive for future generations.

Ms Laker said: “It can make things more difficult to curate, because obviously it depends on formats and longevity.

“Sometimes a publication is only short-lived – are there going to be archive files available?”

However, despite the challenges digital news made things “a lot more accessible for people”.

“So, I want to give a very big thank you to Bailiwick Express and the team at [parent company] All Island Media,” Ms Laker added.

“It really does help to make our collection useful to the public and will encourage them to come in.”