Work gets underway on new library for Hartcliffe

Residents in Hartcliffe will soon be celebrating a brand new library for their community as building works on the new facility gets underway.

The old library building is being demolished to make way for the £20 million redevelopment of Symes Avenue, which will see a brand new Morrisons supermarket and a new community building - housing the new library and new offices for the Hartcliffe and Withywood Community Partnership (HWCP).

The new library will have state-of-the-art facilities and will offer a wide range of services from the latest titles to computer-based learning. It is planned to open in the summer.

And just so local library users don’t miss out on their regular read, the city council has organised for a temporary library service to operate from a portacabin in the Rose Garden area of Symes Avenue from Monday, March 19.

Councillor Simon Cook, executive member for leisure services, said: “It is exciting to know that in a few months time local residents will have a brand new library. This is further evidence of the council’s drive to provide first- library facilities for communities across the city.

“Until then, we ask borrowers to bear with us and to continue to use the nearby temporary library. Although the level of lending stock and other facilities might be restricted, borrowers can still expect the same high standard of customer care from our staff.” 

Tracy Edwards-Brown, Chair of HWCP, added: “Work on the new community building is progressing well and we are all excited about it opening in the summer. The new library is a key element of the community building and will encourage local people to come in and find out what’s happening in Hartcliffe and how they can get involved.”

The temporary portacabin library will be open as follows:
Mondays: 9.30am-1pm, 2-4.30pm
Tuesdays: Closed
Wednesdays: 9.30am-1pm, 2-4.30pm
Thursdays: 9.30am-1pm, 2-4.30pm
Fridays: 9.30am-1pm, 2-4.30pm
Saturdays: 9.30am-12.30pm

The temporary library will offer a selection of adult fiction and non-fiction, childrens’ and large print books, spoken word cassettes, daily newspapers and magazines. It will provide two computers for use by customers, but no connection to the internet. Photocopying facilities will be available.

Councillor surgeries will continue to be run at the temporary library as
follows:
3rd Saturday each month - 10.30 am * 12noon: Cllr Royston Griffey (Hartcliffe).
2nd and 4th Saturday each month - 10.30 am * 12noon: Cllr Helen Holland (Whitchurch Park)

Due to the short gap between the closure of the existing library and the opening of the temporary provision, Cllr Griffey’s surgery will not be held on Saturday, March 17.

Ends

Press release issued: March 15 2007