A project has started this week to permanently integrate the council’s adult learning team into Penrith Library.
The work will help to embed the service to give adults in the community even easier access to a wide range of courses for people at all levels and interests, both qualification and non-qualification, in a broad range of subjects.
Phase 1 of the project, which started on Monday, will see the transformation of a designated section of the library into a storage area and will involve minimal disruption to library services.
However, this Saturday, 14 October, the library will be temporarily closed to ensure the safety of visitors during some structural work.
The library will re-open as usual on Monday, 16 October.
Phase 2 of the project will start on Monday, 6 November, during which library staff will temporarily relocate the workroom functions to the Local Interest/Reference area. As a result, the Local History collection and reader printers will be accessible by appointment only from 23 October until Christmas.
Additional study areas in the main library will be created for convenience. Some events and activities may need to be postponed or temporarily relocated during this period.
Once the project is completed, the adult learning service will operate full-time from the library, providing improved access to its quality skills and community learning programmes right in the heart of the community.
Councillor Sue Sanderson, Westmorland and Furness Council Cabinet Member for Children's Services, Education and Skills, said: “This project will make it easier for adults in the Eden area to pursue improvements in their knowledge and personal growth.
“Creating a community learning hub in the library will ensure adults have the support they need, in an accessible location, to thrive and develop their knowledge and skills.
“Our Council Plan outlines an ambition to enable people to thrive by providing opportunities for education, health and wellbeing and to support opportunities for jobs, learning and skills development, and improving access to adult learning is a key part of that.’’