The Upper Norwood Library Hub re-opens to the public on Saturday 15 July, after having recently undergone a major refurbishment.
Extensive work has been done to the roof, floors and internal decoration, transforming the library hub into a bright, contemporary space for local people and businesses to meet, learn, work and socialise.
Croydon Council has committed to providing £110,000 per year to support the community-led project, of which Lambeth Council is co-sponsor.
The upgrade takes the 116-year-old library into an exciting new chapter, and the library hub is celebrating its re-launch with activities, a showcase of some great community services, give-aways, and refreshments.
The newly decorated lending library has a wide and up to date range of books and other media with an efficient ordering service for anything not in stock. There are different size spaces available for hire, these are suitable for meetings, conferences, learning and educational events, community group activities, local business use, parties, and much more. There are also car park spaces for hire at reasonable rates.
The library hub is also going to be operating community outreach programmes, regular activities for adults and children, and education and volunteering opportunities. There is also the coffee shop which provides healthy food options. More will be added in the future as the service develops.
The library hub is currently crowdfunding to create a new ‘Library of Things’ where people can borrow a wide range of items, from a drill or a bike to a guitar or camping equipment, all for a fraction of the normal rental cost.
“I’m absolutely delighted to see the Upper Norwood Library Hub re-open and it’s fantastic to see how plans for the range of services on offer are developing. Libraries are vital parts of the community, and we are determined as a council to see them thrive.”
Councillor Timothy Godfrey, cabinet member for culture, leisure and sport
Community Hub Director, Emily Jewell, said: “With the support of Lambeth and Croydon Councils, we now have a building fit for the 21st century. We are delighted that we have such a great building for the Upper Norwood community who fought so hard to keep the library open. This is a building for our community to borrow books, resources and use for a wide range of activities and services”
Further information about the Upper Norwood Library Hub and how to support the Library of Things can be found at:
