Saturday, May 20 A party will celebrate Cobbett Road Library’s 84th birthday – even though it’s still closed as a public library.
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The Friends of Cobbett Road Library event takes place on the afternoon of Saturday, May 20 from 2.30 - 4pm.
To celebrate the milestone the group is running a prize competition, to draw and post a birthday card.
Cards should be posted through the library’s letterbox by May 15, and include a message, story or poem – along with your phone number so winners can be contacted. The three judged best will receive a £5 book token, awarded on the day.
Also on display at the event will be a copy of the booklet produced for the formal opening in 1939, and photos taken at library events over the years. Entry is free, with donations for refreshments appreciated.
While the building is still used for a few public activities, it’s been shut as a library since the end of January 2021, with negotiations between the council and potential partners taking an unfathomably long time to complete.
The council said last June that it hoped a new organisation would be “in situ and delivering services in the local community” by the end of 2022. But December saw the council re-advertising for potential bidders., thanking residents for what it described as their “patience”, and promising that “no further announcements will be made until that [tender process] has been concluded”.
Update 19/5/23: We understand it will also be possible to borrow books from the library on the day, and even register for the city's library service, with Cobbett as your 'home' library.