New Year - New Library For Stanmore
Wednesday, 31 October 2012
2013 will see the introduction of a new community library service for residents in Stanmore (Winchester) when Hampshire County Council's Library Service moves the library to the nearby Carroll Centre.
Stanmore library will close its doors on 20 December 2012, but from Monday 21 January 2013, a new library service will be officially opened from the nearby Carroll Centre, which is a well-used community building in the middle of Stanmore, in Somers Close. It is open five and a half days a week, and already offers many activities including after school and holiday clubs, a children's centre and a wide variety of courses for adults and children including IT.
The changes are the result of partnership work with the local community to safeguard a local library service for the area as Stanmore Library is one of Hampshire's smallest, and least-used libraries. In a unique move, the first of its kind in Hampshire, the Carroll Centre will be responsible for running a library service from the Centre on a day-to-day basis, supported by regular visits from a member of staff from Hampshire's Library Service.
Hampshire County Council Executive Member for Culture and Recreation, Councillor Keith Chapman, said: "Stanmore library had some of Hampshire's lowest customer numbers so by moving library services to The Carroll Centre in January, it means the community won't lose out, and we can continue to provide residents with a local library service on their doorstep. The Carroll Centre is already a thriving hub for community activity so it made sense to work together with them, and Winchester City Council, to find a solution that benefits everyone. As a result, the library will now move to a much busier location where it will be open many more hours per week.
"We can also use this excellent opportunity to bring library services to the attention of more people, many of whom are not current customers, and may not be aware of the range of additional services our libraries have on offer, beyond simply lending books."
The new library services will be officially opened at The Carroll Centre on 21 January 2013, by County Council Leader, Councillor Ken Thornber. Subject to work being completed on the site, it is hoped that the Centre may however be able to welcome library users in advance of the official opening date.
Hampshire Library Service will continue to provide the books and resources, including a self-service kiosk at The Carroll Centre so people can issue and return books themselves, but the library itself will be run by the Centre.
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