Updated equipment for Nuneaton Library
Nuneaton Library is to close for a fortnight on Monday 1st November whilst equipment is installed to enhance the experience for the library’s many users.
The library will receive minor modifications to its layout, creating an additional 600 sq ft of space for the public, self-service machines and new stock. The library receives over 200,000 visitors each year and new furniture and carpets will replace that which has suffered so much wear and tear before re-opening on Monday 15 November.
Because the timescale for the refurbishment is so short, a mobile library will not be provided. Residents are being asked to use other libraries at Bedworth, Bulkington, Camp Hill and Stockingford where convenient. Bulkington will open for two extra days each week that Nuneaton Library is closed.
The refurbishment is part of a long-standing countywide programme of major libraries which has already seen work take place on Rugby Library and Stratford Library among others. The potential for bulk buying has kept costs per library to a minimum.
The location of Nuneaton Library for the future has been the subject of a good deal of discussion in recent years but no definite alternative location has been identified.
Warwickshire County Council’s portfolio holder for Customers, Workforce and Governance, Cllr Colin Hayfield, said: “We are aware that people will question why we are spending money on a library whose future location is not totally certain. I understand their concerns and would make three points to address them.
“The spend is not overly substantial particularly as it is part of a package that will see 16 libraries updated across the county, enabling economies of scale to be made, with costs further contained by residents using other libraries in the area rather than installing a mobile library.
“Much of the cost of the refurbishment is on stock and furniture – all of which would be transferable to another venue in the event that the location was moved.
“Nuneaton Library may well be moved in the future but this is not certain. And if it does move, the timescale may well be years. We cannot simply cease to carry out necessary improvements to the library based on what might happen.
“We appreciate how communities value their libraries and are committed to providing the best facilities that we can with the resources that we have. Whilst Nuneaton Library is at its current location, we will ensure that the focus is on the experience for the customers and that they continue to enjoy quality facilities and comfortable surroundings.”