No Mobile Library - Monday 21st Jan

Just to let you both know that there will be no Mobile Library service
in Sawston today (Mon 21 Jan).  Unfortunately road conditions mean that none of our
Mobile libraries are able to operate safely.  We hope that normal
service will be resumed tomorrow.

Temporary Library Meeting - 6 February

Lastly, Marjorie has asked if FoSL would like to be involved in helping getting the temporary library up and running. There will be an open meeting on 6 February in the Back Hall of Sawston Free Church at 8pm - hopefully with drinks and nibbles! Please do come; it'll be an opportunity to ask questions, offer help in setting up the library, and to find out what's going on.  If you can't be there and have a question or would like to offer your services in some way, do let me and Chrissie know.  Otherwise, I hope to see you on 6 February in Sawston Free Church at 8pm!

Change in opening hours?

Marjorie Smith of Cambridgeshire Libraries has also told us that "it has been suggested that we might make some modest adjustments to the opening hours which were put in place at Easter. In particular the two new lunchtime open hours were apparently not well used so we could consider redistributing those to other times - perhaps offering Monday and Friday 2-6 rather than 2-5." Look out for an official survey on this one! If you have any opinions, do let Marjorie know.

Temporary Library at SVC

The Library Service has now confirmed that the planning application for a temporary library went through with no objections. The plan is for the portacabin to be installed during half-term (11^th February) onwards. Marjorie Smith of Cambridgeshire Libraries told us, "It may be that we won't be able to start kitting it out until week beginning Feb 25th as the connecting up of electricity and water may have to continue into a 2nd week; but we still hope to be in well before Easter!".

However, one FoSL member pointed out something slightly alarming about the planning application:

'Subject to the receipt of the necessary statutory consents it is intended, if possible, to install the temporary building on the Village College site in mid-February 2013, during half term week. The building is expected to be used until the Morris Wing is rebuilt and ready for re-occupation in 23 months time or sooner.' Apparently this statement is intended to reassure planners that the portacabin will genuinely be a temporary building, and not remain as a long term solution. Whether the library does actually return to the Morris Wing of the Village College will depend on the viability of any alternative options being considered for the development of a community hub, to include the library.

January Library Hours

Mobile Library in Mill Lane; Mon 11am-5pm and Tues 5-7pm

February hours will probably be announced later, when the temporary library has been given permission.

Temporary Library

Good news; CCC have applied for planning permission for the temporary library on the SVC site, on the D-shaped grassy area at the bypass end of the site, near the Arts centre.  See message from Marjorie Smith from CCC below, which includes a link to the application - just enter the application number, and then click on the "Documents" tab.  Hopefully we can arrange an evening later on in January to hear from Marjorie, and to discuss what we can offer.  I know that most of you, like me, are as keen as mustard to get on with doing something useful for the library!  I'll let you know when we've found a date.  Can anyone offer a venue? 

Yasmin
____

I'm sure you will be pleased to hear that the Planning Application for

the temporary library building to be erected at Sawston Village College

has now been submitted and is live on the County Council Planning Portal

- reference Number S/02524/12/CC

http://planapps2.cambridgeshire.gov.uk/DCWebPages/AcolNetCGI.gov

I understand that the site notices have gone up and that both the Parish

Council and near neighbours have been informed as required.  We, of

course, hope that there will be no objections to this application and

that it will be accepted without being referred to the next County

Council Planning Committee meeting on Feb 7th.

If all goes according to plan, the installation of the building itself

and the necessary services will be carried out during the Spring

half-term break (Feb 11th-15th) and we would hope to be able to fit the

Cabin out with furniture, books and computers in the days following.

It would be good if we could get together in January to discuss progress

and to look at utilising the resources of the Friends in getting this up

and running.  I know that you have donations ready to offer and I hope

that you'll also be able to help out with publicity, and perhaps special

events for the re-opening as well!

I'm happy to come to a formal Friends meeting, or just to meet up with

you and others on an ad hoc basis - but I do think it would be good to

get going on this before February.

Best wishes for Christmas and the New Year

Marjorie

Marjorie Smith

District Library Manager, South Cambridgeshire

Libraries Archives and Information

Cambridgeshire County Council,

Community Hub Presentation to Sawston Parish Council (11 Dec 2012)

I think it'd be fair to say this wasn't an astonishing success.  Rev. Bruce Waldron, from the Free Church, gave a great presentation which was largely ignored, and the meeting didn't really go uphill from there.  We're hoping to have more on the Community Hub ideas in the next Sawston Scene.