A Book at Beer Time - Your New Community Library
Wednesday 18th December 2013
Jonny & Ronni at The Ship Inn have teamed up with Cornwall Council’s library services in a unique scheme to provide a community library for local residents with funds provided by the rural services organisation, Pub is The Hub, and their Community Services Fund.
Pub is The Hub works across the UK helping rural pubs to diversify their goods and services for the benefit of their communities. Whilst many pubs offer book exchanges and informal book lending, this library scheme is thought to be the first time that a local authority has worked in partnership to provide library services in a pub that incorporates their books, full library membership based at the pub and access to all the online library services.
A modest grant of £999 for The Ship Inn from Pub is The Hub’s Community Services Fund has paid for shelving for the books, signage outside and a computer terminal which links them to the library membership and reservation service. People wishing to join the library can borrow from the books on shelf in the pubs or reserve books from other libraries in Cornwall using the computer provided. Cornwall Council’s library service will ensure that the books on shelves are regularly updated and books requested online by the pub’s library members will be delivered to The Ship Inn by the library service. In addition, library membership allows online access to whole host of other services such as reference library, online learning, newspapers and newspaper archives, careers information and even ancestry searches.
Pat Terry, Communities Team Leader from Cornwall Council’s library services says: “We are delighted to begin the start of a unique partnership. This pilot scheme is an opportunity for people in rural areas to have access to library and internet services seven days a week in a warm and welcoming environment. The bonus of this scheme is that it has the benefits of high quality library books from the whole of Cornwall’s library stock rather than unmanaged local donations.”
Cornwall Council cabinet member Adam Paynter says: “This is a fantastic idea. Any initiative that encourages people to get involved with books and reading is great and this is an innovative way of combining two great community assets – the library and the pub.”
John Longden, Chief Executive for Pub is The Hub commented: “It is amazing what a small amount of funding and a great partnership of the kind we have with Cornwall Council’s library services can put together. This pilot project is the first of its kind and evolved from some community workshops we ran in 2012 with the support of the Big Lottery through our Community Champions initiative.
“We are hoping that the community enjoys and appreciates what Ronni and Johnny are doing and the end result is long term sustainability for a great rural asset – the pub. If all goes well, it could be a scheme that other library service providers in other areas of the country might consider.”
The Ship has moved, as have many other rural pubs, to provide food, drink and entertainment alongside ancillary services. They have five letting bedrooms and a cottage for seasonal visitors but for locals they operate the usual quiz and foodie nights plus a pop-up Sunday shop on the one day that the village shop is closed, selling papers and breakfast essentials.
Photo 1: Pat Terry from Cornwall Council with Jonny Pusey and Ronni Collins from The Ship Inn, Lerryn
Photo 2: Local resident, Rachel Brown, who is an artist and runs the community-owned art shop across the road is pleased to have this facility available locally without the need to drive.
Photo 3: Our New Library - open 7 days a week and open to everyone - get down and see it !
Read the comments in the Discussion Forum on the Library and add your own - CLICK HERE
