STOCKTON HEATH Library will be closed for two months while redevelopment work is carried out in readiness for the building’s new life.
The library will close at 1 pm Saturday June 1 and will remain closed until the end of August or early September.
During the closed period customers will be able to collect their books from any other LiveWire library or from Broomfields Leisure Centre.
From Monday June 10, library staff will be at Broomfields at the following times:
Mondays 10-12, Tuesdays 4-6pm, Fridays 10-12 and Saturdays 10-1pm only.
During these sessions, there will be the opportunity to return library books, borrow from a small selection of books and collect any reservations.
Not so long ago, Stockton Heath Library was threatened with closure, along with other libraries across the borough.
But after a “save our libraries” campaign, plans were drawn up to widen the building’s usage and extend its role in the community.
The plans, developed by the South Warrington Libraries Working Group; and SWISH (Friends of the South Warrington Library in Stockton Heath), include:
• Upgrading the building for provision of rental areas to ensure income streams
• Widening the scope of community engagement with library provision and activities
• Adapting the library to better accommodate the range of local needs/disabilities such as dementia or sensory disability
• Increasing the building flexibility to extend the potential range of activities, such as literary events or cultural presentations.
Stockton Heath Parish Council is to move into the building and it is hoped to accommodate a café serving users of the adjoining Alexandra Park.
During the closure Library staff will also be going into local primary schools to deliver the Summer Reading Challenge and will also have a presence at various community events throughout the summer promoting the library service. An adult reading group in an alternative venue is also planned.
Emma Hutchinson, Managing Director of LiveWire, said: “We are hugely excited that work is to begin on the £200,000 redevelopment of Stockton Heath Library. From more flexible spaces to dementia friendly design, these ambitious plans are an example of what can be achieved when partner organisations and the community work together to help build a sustainable future for our libraries.
“We thank everyone in advance for their patience during the redevelopment of Stockton Heath Library, which we know will be rewarded with a much-improved library service for the people of Stockton Heath and surrounding area.”
For more information on LiveWire’s libraries, including library locations, please visit: https://livewirewarrington.co.uk/library/using-livewire-libraries
