16/06/10….Book the date for the opening of Thame’s new library

ALMOST exactly 50 years after Thame’s Library in Southern Road opened its doors to the first lender, the town’s state-of-the-art new library will open on August 2, 2010.

John Ansell, Spokesperson for the Friends of Thame Library, commented: “On July 11, days before it closes there, Thame Library will have been at its existing Rooks Lane/Southern Road site for 50 years.

“Amazingly, we have been campaigning for a new library for over a third of that time. Our group identified the new library site when it became available, and Oxfordshire Libraries then moved smartly to secure it. We are absolutely delighted to see everything now coming to fruition.”

The existing library in Southern Road will close at 4.30pm on Saturday, July 24, and the movement of stock and equipment to the new library will take place during the following week.

The new library, at 3 North Street, Thame, will be the first new library in Oxfordshire for some years, and it will not only be significantly larger than the current premises, but will also be better sited and have many more books, state of the art equipment and self-service.

The new library will open at 10.30am, on August 2, and during the day it is hoped that there will be a family storytelling event or an author visit to mark the opening. The formal opening will take place in mid-September.

For current members, no items will be due to be returned during the closure period and they will be able to use neighbouring libraries such as Chinnor, Watlington or the South East mobile library ? opening hours can be found at www.oxfordshire.gov.uk/libraries

PHOTO: Friends of Thame Library, John Ansell (left),Beatrice Dobie and Hussein Mirza, who have worked tirelessly towards a new library for Thame.