Accessibility improvements at Arbroath Library

Work is to be carried out at Arbroath Library in the New Year as part of Angus Council's ongoing commitment to improve the accessibility of its buildings.

The £150,000 project at Arbroath library will include the installation of a lift providing access for disabled users to the upper areas of the library and an accessible public toilet on the ground floor

It is intended that public access to the library will continue during the period of the contract between January 11 and April 30.

Posted 23 Dec 2009

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Birmingham Library Granted Planning approval, but criticism remains

After 9 years of planning Birmingham’s new £193 million library in Centenary Square has been given the final go ahead. This is despite a less than glowing review of the plans from CABE, the government's adviser on architecture, urban design and public space, and less than overwhelming support for the modern design.

The futuristic glass-fronted structure designed by the award-winning Dutch architects Mecanoo will be built by Carillion, one of the UK's leading construction companies. The project will be paid for entirely by Birmingham City Council.

The planning committee was split over the scheme, with seven members voting in favour, one against and three abstaining. One committee member, former Lord Mayor Mick Sharpe, said the glass-fronted library would be a “monstrosity” whilst Councillor Sharpe, who voted against, added that a cage of circular metal hoops covering the building reminded him of old bed springs.

The official line is that the library "will be a cultural centre drawing visitors from all over the world and a second home for the city’s diverse communities. It is designed to be highly accessible to all - everyone will feel welcome and comfortable. It will be a community hub, reaching out to all parts of the city in an exchange of knowledge and ideas, a place to interact, a place to learn, study and a place to meet and take part in activities and events for families, businesses, groups and individuals of all ages."

Click here for more information on the Library of Birmingham project. To read more comments from the planning committee members and other critics, read Paul Dale's blog post, or the news article from the Birmingham Post.

Posted 01 Dec 2009

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York Library awaiting final approval

York's main library has been closed for refurbishment before full planning permission was granted.

Council officials have been accused of jumping the gun, after it emerged they were still waiting for the green light for the work, nearly a month after they closed the doors at Museum Street.

The Central Library closed on October 31, ahead of a £540,000 refurbishment that will include more books, new reading and study areas and a café.

Although City of York Council had approved its own plans, it still requires approval from the Government. Work has yet to begin, but the council has been clearing out the building in preparation.

The project was delayed last year due to a funding shortfall but it is hoped that the government approval for 'Listed Building Consent' is merely a formality and won't further delay work.

Posted 01 Dec 2009

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Open Air Library from Beer Crates

An interesting example of creative architecture in a library has been built in East Germany.

What began as an assemblage of 1,000 empty beer cartons pulled together by residents in East Germany has now evolved into an open air public library. Designed by Karo Architekten in collaboration with local residents, the library has created a cultural center where books can be exchanged 24 hours a day.

The origins of this project began in 2005 outside a former library which had closed. KARO Architects constructed a full size temporary library with 1,000 beer crates that were lent to them. This lasted two days and operated on an honor system. Residents relocated books to a more permanent home in an abandoned storefront. Donated books continued to come in and the collection quickly grew to 20,000 titles.

It was obvious that there was a need for a more permanent yet accessible place for the books. Fundraising began and eventually the project received grant money from the government.

In June 2009, the new outdoor library opened. Use of the library is free, there is no registration and books can be accessed 24 hours a day. Referred to as a “library of confidence” users are encouraged to bring back books they take away or donate another one in exchange.

The site of the library features a communal stage which is used for school plays, book reading, concerts, and cultural events. A volunteer group of residents take care of librarianship and keep the reading areas clean.

The library structure is built from custom cast blocks which were are all recycled from a nearby warehouse building that was knocked down in 2007. The blocks were salvaged, cleaned up and reused to construct the entire structure of the library.



Photos by Anja Schlamann - Click here for more photos

Download the following PDF file for more information.

Posted 19 Nov 2009

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Library and Primary Care Trust Partnership in Liverpool

Plans to regenerate land at a busy south Liverpool junction have been unveiled.

The £7m health centre and library would be built at Childwall Fiveways, replacing the current community library. It would incorporate land from Childwall College and house new classrooms for the secondary school.

Liverpool Primary Care Trust plans to start consulting the public for eight weeks from next Monday. If residents are supportive of the idea and planning permission is granted, building work could start as early as next summer, with the centre opening 12 months later.

It would partly be funded by Government co-location funding.

A similar partnership between a Bolton Council and NHS Bolton resulted in the opening of the New Breightmet Library earlier this month.

Posted 18 Nov 2009

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New Community Library for Norton Canes

Staffordshire County Council has opened a the new library and Community Hub in Norton Canes which has been funded by the Big lottery Community Libraries fund.
The building re-opened to the public on Monday September 28 after it closed on December 30 last year, to make way for a brand new million pound library and community hub.
Services within the new library and community information hub will now include:

• Book, and access to loan of CDs and DVDs
• Activities for all ages
• Free computer and internet access
• Meeting rooms available for booking

The brand new £1.1m library replaces the original building, built in 1961, which was felt no longer served the needs of the public or delivered a modern day library and information service.

There will also be drop-in and outreach services from agencies such as the Children’s Information Service, Citizens Advice Bureau, Community and Voluntary Service, health services and the police.

A total of 58 libraries across England will receive a share of £80m, as part of the Community Libraries programme, thanks to a joint partnership between the Big Lottery Fund and the MLA.

Posted 13 Nov 2009

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Refurbishment plans for York University Library

Work on the University of York Library Refurbishment is due to start in January. The £13 million refurbishment of the JB Morrell Library on the Heslington campus, will provide a range of different study facilities required by students and staff in the 21st Century. It will also rid the building 1964 of asbestos.

The modernisation programme is expected to take two years and be carried out stage by stage, with workmen moving in to refit the library one floor at a time.
Alongside improvements to lighting, heating and ventilation, new study areas will be provided. These will include zoned silent and quiet study areas, PC rooms, group study rooms, and all areas will be IT enabled with either fixed PCs or wireless connectivity.

The JB Morrell building boasts 800,000 items of stock, including 2,000 printed journals and 19,000 electronic journals.
The refurbishment will be completed in the academic year 2011/12 and will follow a phased approach with work commencing on the second floor.

The University of York is publishing a blog with the latest news about the library refurbishment: University of York Library Refurbishment Blog.

Posted 10 Nov 2009

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BIG Funded Library in Cheshire officially opened

The new £1.5 million library in Wharton, Cheshire has been officially opened.

The new community library houses not just a public library but also an ICT suite, social area, large community hall, two meeting rooms and an interview room.

The majority of funding for the £1.5 million project came from the Big Lottery and also the former Cheshire County Council and Vale Royal Borough Council.

The opening ceremony of cutting a ribbon was carried out by Cheshire West and Chester Council's Culture and Recreation Executive Member, Councillor Richard Short. He said:

"Wharton Library prides itself on offering something for everyone and I am sure that its success will continue to grow."

Wharton Library is one of 58 across England that BIG has funded to offer a range of services beyond their traditional role.

Children from Willow Wood Community Primary School were involved in designing the building, and a class from the school attended the opening event along with pre-school children from the Wharton Children's Centre. They were joined by older residents who visit the library.

Winsford North and East Councillor Don Beckett said: “The new library is extremely important for Wharton.

"It is easily accessible for people of all ages and as well as an extremely well used library also provides a central base for so many different clubs and special events."

Posted 04 Nov 2009

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Joint-use Library and Health Cente Building in Bolton

A new partnership between Bolton Council and NHS Bolton has brought about the opening of the new Breightmet Library.

The purpose-built facility shares its building with the health centre but has its own identity.

The new Breightmet Library provides state-of-the-art facilities, such as computers and plasma screens, in light, colourful and modern surroundings. The layout and colour scheme was designed with the help of library users, and a local disability group was consulted on the open plan space. There are also study and meeting areas so members of the community can sit down, relax and read or learn new skills.

The library was funded by a £1.1 million Big Lottery grant as part of the Community Libraries Programme and replaces the old Breightmet Library which was situated half a mile away.

Sharing the site with the Health Centre means there are plenty of opportunities for joint working on health projects and the sharing of health-related information.

Visits to the Health Centre can also be made more pleasurable as patients can pick up a good book to read at the same time.

Designed by Nightingale Associates’, the building housing Breightmet Health Centre and Library was voted winner of the Best Healthcare Building category in the 2009 LABC (Local Authority Building Control) Awards.

Posted 04 Nov 2009

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Community Learning Libraries Development Programme Report

CyMAL: Museums Archives and Libraries Wales have published an external report on the Community Learning Libraries Development Programme 2008-09.

The aim of Community Learning Libraries is to deliver modern library facilities, allowing people to benefit from an enhanced range of services and opportunities. This report contains an evaluation of work carried out in 2008-09 and the recommendations of the external Adviser.

Click here to download the: Community Learning Libraries Development Programme 2008-09 - Final report of the Adviser.

Posted 04 Nov 2009

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