Bottisham Community Library Association
What a year we've had! The Bottisham Community Library Association had
its AGM on the 8th June. We've now been running the public access to
Bottisham Library, on a voluntary basis, for almost a year now. When the
library closed in June last year it was very sad. But the re-opening in
July last year was a triumph for all concerned and for the village too.
We had our official opening party in September last year, we've had
storytellings and childrens' art clubs, plus book sales, cake stalls...
we've been busy! A big thank you to everyone who has supported us.
We're having our first birthday party at the library on Saturday 17th
July, 10.30-11.45am. Please come and celebrate with us. There will be
refreshments.
If you've not been to the library for a while, do come and look at our
stock - we have a wide range of up-to-date fiction, and it's free to
borrow books from the library. If there are any books (or audio
cassettes, or other items) you would like to see in the library, please
let us know - we have some money earmarked to spend on new stock and we
want to get things that people want.
The mobile library service on alternate Friday evenings is currently
under threat - not many people are using it. Please, if you're passing
the mobile library, do drop in - the staff would be pleased to see you
and it could help the village to retain this service.
Did you know?
If you are one of those people who sometimes returns books late to the
library and has to pay fines (don't be embarrassed, it happens to the
best of us) the fines on Bottisham library books go directly to the
Bottisham Community Library Association - so your overdue books are
helping to run the library.
Press release 12th July 2003
Bottisham Community
Library Association is delighted to announce the re-opening of Bottisham
Library to the public on Tuesday 15th July 2003 at 3pm, with
storytelling at 4pm.
After a long and sadly unsuccessful fight earlier this
year to prevent the Bottisham library from closing, along with 9 other
village libraries, the villagers of Bottisham and the surrounding area have
rallied around and formed the Bottisham Community Library Association to run
the public access side of the library, which is situated in Bottisham
Village College.
We are the first of the recently closed libraries to re-open, and are
proud of our team who have been working tirelessly behind the scenes
collecting and cataloguing donations, and organising the shelves. To go from
closed on 21st June to open again on 15th July is a
wonderful achievement and we would like to thank everyone who has made this
possible by donating books, money or time.
We will be keeping to the normal library opening hours, (given below)
staffed entirely by volunteers who are giving their time out of a sense of
loyalty to the community and a desire to retain a library service that is
accessible to as many as possible.
Bottisham also now has a mobile library service on alternate Friday evenings
and Saturday mornings.
You do not need to be a member of the BCLA to borrow books from the library
– all you need is the CAMBOOK library card that you used to borrow books
from the library before it closed. However, if you would like to join us we
would be very pleased to welcome you.
Membership of the BCLA, which costs £1 a year, and lets you have a say in
the running of the association, is open to all. Application forms are
available from the library
For further information, please contact:
Geraldine Lockett 01223 811236
Margret Coles 01223 812199
Catherine Wightwick 07984 959284 or email
catherine@wightwick.co.uk
Library opening hours:
Monday – Closed
Tuesday – 3-5pm and 6-8pm
Wednesday 10-11.30am
Thursday 3-5pm
Friday 6-8pm
Saturday 10am-12 noon To support your local library, influence future
developments and for a vote at the Annual General Meeting please join
Bottisham Community Library Association.
Minimum subscription £1
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Name:
______________________________________
Address:
______________________________________
______________________________________________
______________________________________________
______________________________________________
Tel.
__________________________________________
email:
_________________________________________
Subscription paid: £________________
Please make cheques payable to
Bottisham Community Library Association.
Return form to Library or Margret
Coles, The Anchor, High St., Bottisham
Book Appeal
We will need books in good condition and in
particular paperbacks in the following categories: picture books and early
readers for young children fiction for primary school age children, general
adult fiction, biography, crafts, health and fitness, cookery, DIY,
gardening & travel
We would like to extend the range of loans
available to include:
large print books, audio books, spoken word cassettes for children and
adults, videos for both children and adults.
If we receive multiple copies of a book, or
cannot use donated copies for other reasons, we propose to sell them to
raise funds for the library. Any remaining would be given to charity. Please
make it very clear at the time of donation if you would prefer your books to
be returned.
Volunteers will be needed for every session the
library is open to issue books. Some funds will be required e.g. in order to
secure access to the library at times the school is closed. Donations of
books, spoken word cassettes, videos will add to the available service. All
offers of help, please, to:
Gerry Lockett
Tel: 811236
Why are we working to maintain
community use of the library at Bottisham Village College?
At an open meeting on 15th March the possible
options for the future library service in Bottisham were discussed. Those
present unanimously chose to continue with community use of a library
situated in the present room within the Village College. The principal
alternative to this plan was five and a half hours per week of Mobile
Library time.
Maintaining use of the library within the
College will require a high level of community support. So why did we all
support the idea? Mobile Library
Advantages/Disadvantages
Generally 2,500 books on board
Cramped
Stock of large print books
Difficult access
Stock of spoken word cassettes
No Saturday opening
Possibility of a second stopping location
Advantages to the Library within the Village
College:
Continued use of a purpose-built and attractive
room
Local control over opening hours
Possibility of extending service to include
videos, large print books,
spoken word cassettes,
storytimes, periodicals, printing services,
truly local information - the
list seems endless
Broadband internet access in a conducive
environment
Continued access to the books owned by Bottisham
Village College.
The County Library Service will provide support
including:
A rolling stock of 1000 books; principally
fiction
Leaving the present collection of local studies
in place
Leaving the present collection of dictionaries,
atlases etc. in place
Continued use of the CAMBOOK catalogue
Two and a half hours Mobile Library time per
week
Training for volunteer helpers
Volunteers will be needed for every session the
library is open to issue books. Some funds will be required e.g. in order to
secure access to the library at times the school is closed.
Donations of books, spoken word cassettes, videos will add to the available
service.
All offers of help, please, to:
Gerry Lockett
Tel: 811236
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