The Club’s library currently contains over 150 books, computer disks and videos. New material is added from time to time and members’ suggestions are welcomed.

Each item is identified by a number which, in most cases, is clearly visible on it’s spine. Books are arranged on the shelves in order of these numbers, not alphabetically.

Also kept in the library are two large white A4 binders which contain recent copies of the Australian Bridge magazine.

Catalogues

In a white slim A4 binder on the library shelves you will find listings of all items in the library in various orders, including spine number order, alphabetical by authors, and sorted by subject contents (e.g. bidding, play, defense, laws etc)

Borrowing procedures

Members are asked to record each borrowing in the Borrowings Record book provided, noting your name, the number of the item borrowed and the date; and subsequently to mark in the same book the date you return the item.

The Committee’s policy is that each borrowing be limited to 3 weeks, so that all members have an equal opportunity to access popular material.

Books bearing a sticker marked Ref. (reference), and the Australian Bridge magazines are not to be taken out of the Club please.

Using the Library to Improve Your Game

A good way for a new partnership (or a partnership wanting to get more serious) to develop a strong shared understanding of their bidding system is to choose a book that offers a complete coverage of their chosen system (e.g. 5-card majors Standard) and work on that closely together. Both Paul Marston and Ron Klinger have written such books.

One of the best ways to improve your bridge skills – in play or bidding – is to complete quizzes that are set and marked by experts. You are given set hands to bid or play after which you are able to read the expert author’s solutions. To find books incorporating this teaching method look for words like “quiz”, “puzzles”, “test your” in the titles.

There are some excellent books on very specific (and difficult) parts of our game, such as opening leads, defense, competitive bidding, and pre-empts.

On the subject of card play you can’t go past “Card Play Technique” by Mollo and Gardiner, a must-read for all bridge players.

The Official Encyclopaedia of Bridge is a wonderful source of information on all aspects of our game. In the centre you will find a large section on the best way to play various combinations of card holdings. It also gives you the facility to look up particular conventions by name.

An excellent book on conventions is “Bridge Conventions, Defences and Counter-measures” by Ron Klinger.

Look in the Catalogue folder for coloured Suggestion Sheets, a new series of one-page listings of books on particular subjects.