New chapter for Northumberland Library Service
28 Oct 2022 ARCHIVED (over 3 months old) - view latest news
Libraries have long been at the heart of local communities and National Libraries week in October proved the ideal platform to relaunch Northumberland County Council’s service.
The days when a visit to a library meant dusting off a weighty tome and sitting in silence are long-gone – so the Council is celebrating its 21st century offering by “Turning the Page on a New Chapter”.
Improvements in libraries across the county have started with new looks at Bedlington, Ashington and Newbiggin which will be rolled out across Northumberland.
The service came into its own during the Covid pandemic when thousands more people signed up to fill the empty lockdown hours and borrow books remotely via the eLibrary service.
Library staff also made hundreds of doorstep deliveries and Reading Friend phone calls.
Now the doors are open once again and Cllr Jeff Watson, Cabinet Member for Libraries, is welcoming back residents to see what today’s library has to offer.
“Things have changed so much – many of our libraries are now part of community hubs where other services can also be found.
“But more than that, the services have grown to include use of free IT facilities including Wi-Fi, places to meet with friends or form clubs. They provide a programme of events including talks by well-known authors, fun holiday activities for young people and provide learning opportunities for all.
“Today’s libraries are social spaces that can help everyone - from people who are interested in fiction and entertainment, to those who want to research family history, to study or need business support.
“Although all our libraries are Covid safe, for those who are vulnerable or have mobility issues we also provide an eLibrary service and deliveries to people who are housebound, as well as mobile libraries for rural communities.
“We really are Turning the Page on a New Chapter and look forward to welcoming more and more residents to use the free service.”