Shanklin library was designated for closure as part of a cost saving exercise by the Isle of Wight Council. Intervention by Shanklin Town Council and Shanklin Theatre and Community Trust saved the Library from closure.
The Trust initially agreed a ‘license to occupy’ with the Isle of Wight Council, and that has subsequently been converted into a 40 year lease. In addition the Trust has entered into a service contract with the Isle of Wight Council to supply a core book stock for the library, and access to the Island-wide library management system and support infrastructure, which means that users of Shanklin library potentially have access to the whole Island Libray Book Stock, and for modest fees to cover the costs involved to virtually the whole UK and National Library book stocks.
Shanklin Town Council is a named partner of the Trust within the terms of the Lease, and funds an experienced Librarian on the Town Council payroll to supervise the operations of Shanklin Library. In addition to our librarian the Library is staffed by a group of competent, dedicated and hard-working volunteers, whose dedication is appreciated by the Trust and the community.
The Trust is responsible for the fabric of Shanklin Library, but has an agreement with the Town Council that Shanklin Town Council will fund the costs of maintaining Shanklin Library, other than the liability insurance of Trust Directors, which was already in place when the library was taken over.
For more information visit:
http://onthewight.com/2012/02/07/shanklin-library-now-fully-under-local-management/
WIDE RANGE OF SERVICES PROVIDED AT SHANKLIN LIBRARY
Shanklin Library is now leased by the Trust from the Isle of Wight Council, and run in cooperation with Shanklin Town Council with the support of a dedicated group of willing and professional volunteers. But Shanklin Library is much more than just a place to borrow a book!
The following services are available at Shanklin Library:
Books – fiction, non-fiction, reference, children’s
DVDs – good range of titles*
Energy Saving Monitors
Talking Books on Cassette/CD – for both blind/partially sighted, but also ideal for long car journies*
Large Print publications
Computer facilities
Free Internet access
Free online language courses
Over 500 free online courses
e-magazines
Free access to Find My Past family history website
Online reference resources
Word processing
Scanning facilities
Printing*
B&W photocopying service*
Fax service*
Reference Collection
Local Studies Collection
Garden Refuse Sacks*
Bus Pass Applications
Teenage Area
Children’s Area
Homework collection
*Charges apply for these services.
For more information visit:
NEW COMPUTERS FOR SHANKLIN LIBRARY
Shanklin Town Council has funded six new computers, together with an upgraded server and new software updates to give library users access to industry standard ‘Office’ programs.
Use of the new computers is free, but a modest charge is made for printouts to cover the costs of providing that service. The computers are of particular use to children without access to a computer to help them research homework, and to job-seekers without computer or internet access to search for vacancies, write CVs and to submit applications on-line. The service is, however, available to all, but is intended to be predominantly for information based activities, not for gaming or accessing social media. At busy times time limits may be applied to use of computers to be fair to all users.
SHANKLIN TOWN OFFICE
It is proposed to create a new Town Office and meeting room in the currently unused back area of Shanklin Library. Plans have been produced for the conversion, and planning permission has been granted for the development, as has Building Regulation approval. The tendering for the process has started, and it is hoped that the Office will open before the end of 2014.
Chris Quirk
