28/09/10….Government minister visits Thame’s new library

THE new coalition government remains ‘positive about libraries’ said a minister visiting Thame.

Referring no doubt to recent press coverage of suggestions made by the government that libraries could be run by volunteers to save money, Ed Vaizey MP was up-beat when he officially unveiled a commemorative plaque in Thame’s new library last Friday (Sept 24).

Mr Vaizey, who is Minister for Culture, Communications and Creative Industries, said that Thame library had seen a 400% rise in the number of people using it since it had opened a month ago.

?It is obviously enormously successful,? he said, and complemented the designers referring particularly to its positive feel created by the amount of light getting in through the considerable amount of glass.

Mr Vaizey then unveiled a plaque to the applause of all those assembled, who included the Mayor of Thame, Adam Buckland, and ex town councillor, Mike Le Mesurier, who had been involved in raising the need for a new library for Thame in the early days.

Earlier, County Librarian, Caroline Taylor, who had seen the project through the last 4-5years, gave a particular mention to Andrew Coggins, her predecessor who, she said, deserved a lot of the credit for the new library project getting off the ground.

The Chair of Oxfordshire County Council, Hilary Hibbert-Biles, thanked the design team, including Kelvin Eveligh, the project Manager who had over-seen the project.

John Howell MP congratulated everyone involved in the project, saying that Thame now had a library to be proud of, and Beatrice Dobie of the Friends of Thame library spoke of her group which had, at times, she said, thought they would never see a new library for Thame.