Community libraries open

Date published: 29 June 2010

Three new community libraries are now up and running to bring services even closer to residents.

Moorside, Brandlesholme and Coronation Road (Radcliffe) have all opened this week (Monday June 28) and a fourth, in Dumers Lane, will follow in a few weeks.

The four have been funded by the Big Lottery and will forge links with local schools and agencies, while boasting new and improved services.

Councillor Yvonne Creswell, cabinet member for communities, said: “I am delighted that these new libraries have opened. They will become a hub in each community they serve, offering a wide range of services and being in prime locations where local residents and groups can meet. These days you can do so much more at libraries than just borrowing books, and I am sure they will be very well used.”

To celebrate the opening of Moorside, pupils from two local primary schools - St John with St Mark and Springside – took part in a competition to design a poster depicting what a library meant to them.

The overall winner was Aishah Rashid (aged 11), who will cut the ribbon at the official opening evening on July 9.

Aishah and five runners-up – Morgan Thornton (9) and Taelor Parry (10) from St John with St Mark, along with Emily Sutton (11), Grace Little (7) and Sam Chadwick (8) who attend Springside Primary - will have their winning designs displayed at their schools and then in the library.

Children from each school will act as ambassadors to build community cohesion. They will have regular meetings to discuss issues relating to community identity and help organise activities for the other children back in school.

Dawn Broadhurst, community development officer for Moorside Community Library, said: “We had lots of entries from each of the schools and it was really hard to choose from the many fantastic designs. I chose these final six as I thought they reflected what a library should be from a young person’s point of view.”

Opening times for the libraries are:

Moorside: 
Monday, Tuesday and Thursday (2pm to 5pm)
Wednesday and Sunday (10am to 1pm)
Friday (10am to 2pm).

Brandlesholme: 
Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday (2pm to 5.30pm)
Wednesday and Saturday (10am to 1pm).

Coronation Road: 
Monday and Tuesday (2pm to 5.30pm)
Wednesday (10am to 5.30pm)
Friday (10am to 2pm) 
Saturday (10am to 1pm).