Library services in Kettering to be temporarily relocated
Libraries28 November 2023
North Northamptonshire Council will open a new temporary library in Kettering whilst roof repair works are undertaken on the library building.
In December, services will be relocated into the upper floor of the modern extension of Cornerstone, adjacent to the existing Grade 2 listed library. The move has come following extensive rain in October which caused damage to the roof and the library to close to residents.
Library staff will be on site to offer support and guidance to customers, alongside a full range of services:
- Browsing and lending
- Request service
- Group activities including Rhyme time
- Warm spaces
- Drop ins for bus passes.
Blue badge appointments will be offered from the council’s Bowling Green Road offices for two full days per week.
Further provision including People’s Network computers, free WiFi and printing will be available from a later date.
Since we, sadly, had to close the Library in October, Officers have been working hard to find an alternative option which would be suitable until the services can return to their usual home.Cllr Helen Howell, the council’s Deputy Leader and Executive Member for Sport, Leisure, Culture and Tourism
I am pleased that we are now in a position to open a temporary library within the new, modern extension of Cornerstone. This allows residents to use the new facilities, whilst meaning we can continue to offer a library provision in the town, something we have always been committed to doing.
As I have said previously, we fully appreciate the importance of the Library, and art gallery, to the residents of Kettering and wider afield and are working as hard as possible to find solutions, which I hope that this move shows. But in the long term, we are doing all we can to ensure that the library services can return to the main building as soon as possible.
Although water ingress from the leaking library roof is impacting the lower floor of the Cornerstone extension, the upper floor is usable, with no impact from the water ingress. With this in mind, the decision to move the library provision into the extension has been taken, whilst works are completed to make the library building watertight. After the building is watertight, steps will be taken (subject to health and safety checks) to move the library services back into its current home and open Cornerstone in full.
The rooms being used to temporarily house the library can then be returned to their intended use and provide income generation through bookable spaces and catering facilities.
Following Executive approval, Full Council will discuss whether to approve the funds for the roof replacement on Thursday 7 December.
As part of the wider works on site, the Art Gallery doors are currently being refurbished and the tree canopies around the building will be raised in preparation for scaffolding and the tent which are due to be erected (subject to Full Council approving the funds for the roof repair project).
Once open, the temporary library entrance will be clearly sign posted and also accessed via the council car park on London Road.
Further details about the Library move and exact opening date will be published on the Library’s social media page.