A ‘pop-up’ library service will open its doors in Ulverston tomorrow (21 September).
The temporary provision will be based in the Ante Room at The Coro and will open for business at 9.30am.
The pop-up library will initially offer the following services:
- A library reception desk for information and support for customers
- A drop-off point for returning books
- A small selection of books available for borrowing
- A limited number of public computers/desks/printers will be available from next Thursday, 28 September
The pop-up service in the Ante Room – which is fully accessible on the ground floor of The Coro - will initially operate at the following times, in line with The Coro’s existing reception hours: Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday 9.30am-12.30pm
Westmorland and Furness Council library service staff are also looking to create further library provision in the nearby Ulverston Indoor Market, to include more stock for borrowing as well as space for community groups, meetings and events.
It is hoped that this ‘phase two’ will be operational in around a month’s time.
Ulverston’s library building on King’s Road was closed following the discovery of issues with the building’s electrics during routine statutory checks.
The building has now been thoroughly checked and made safe but still has no power available so cannot be used by the service.
A Westmorland and Furness Council spokesperson said: “People have been telling us that they are delighted that we’ve been able to get at least a partial alternative library service up and running so quickly in the town while the library building is out of action and we are very grateful to The Coro for their support with this.
“We’re pleased that the first phase of that service will be starting tomorrow and a lot of hard work has gone into making this happen, with an extended service coming soon using space in the indoor market.
“Understandably, people have also been asking how long the library building will closed and when it will be fixed.
“We appreciate how well-used and popular the library in Ulverston is, but the reality is that there are complex issues with the building’s electrics and we need time to consider how to best address these.
“We have been focussed on getting a service back up and running to meet our Ulverston customers’ immediate needs and we are happy that we are making real progress with that. Now we need to get a better understanding of the situation with the building so we can explore long-term solutions for the library service in Ulverston and will provide further updates in due course.’’
In addition to the pop-up services starting tomorrow at The Coro, customers can also find full library services at nearby libraries at Grange and Barrow, with Library Links in Dalton and Broughton-in-Furness. The council also has a digital library services on offer.
