BLS Community Library Hub Action Group

11/05/2018

Hi , when we were looking to reopen the library we had lots of wonderful volunteers willing to help. Perhaps some of those wonderful people would like to help another village organisation our community centre. They really need some committee members. Can you help?

11/05/2018

The library are hoping to set up a lego club and are looking for donations of lego - are you able to help?

04/12/2017

https://www.facebook.com/lancashirecc/photos/a.392498477440540.94609.124312450925812/1776217579068616/?type=3

library is now re-open! Pictured are: County Cllr Peter Buckley, Cabinet Member for Community and Cultural Services, local residents and children ready to explore! http://fal.cn/qN_c

28/11/2017

Hi all,

The library is reopening this coming Monday at 9am. There will be a small ceremony to mark the reopening by County Councillor Peter Buckley, Cabinet Member for Community and Cultural Services - all welcome to attend.

Main Road, Bolton-le-Sands, Carnforth, LA5 8DN

01/11/2017

This is great news! Can’t wait to visit on the way home from school again. We’ve really missed the library!

01/11/2017

Update from LCCC this morning - BLS library will hopefully be reopened this month but certainly before Christmas. There had been mention of a mobile library in the meantime but this hasn't happened/won't happen as all the vans are fully scheduled to be elsewhere.

Nearly there folks!

Dave

24/10/2017

Evening all, Vince from the Group emailed Councillor Buckley for an update on a re-opening date and if there was any chance that the library could be utilised by the Post Office - here's the reply:

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Dear Vince

Thank you for your email and apologies for not contacting you sooner.

Officers at the County Council are making good progress in reinstating library provision at Bolton-le-Sands and we hope to be announcing a reopening date very shortly. We do want to engage with local community groups and Parish Councils but this needs to be considered and managed appropriately once a library is operational. That is why we are seeking to introduce constituted friends groups who will have greater levels of access to the library facility than community or friends groups have traditionally had in the past (eg by nominating assigned keyholders for out-of-hours access).

It is true that the core opening hours for the library have been determined, but this is only for when professional librarian staff are present. As mentioned above, we do want to introduce some flexibility in the system so that premises can be used at other times. However, the processes and procedures to achieve this have still to be finalised so this won't be available on day one, but we are working hard in defining them. The Council has an obligation to ensure that premises are safe and secure for all members of the public at all times, and so it is essential that appropriate procedures are defined and implemented prior to use.

Regarding any potential arrangement with the Post Office, this will obviously need to be evaluated by officers, so I would ask that you forward any request to Julie Bell, Head of Libraries, Museums, Culture and Registrars ([email protected]).

With kind regards
Peter

Peter Buckley
County Councillor for St Annes North
Cabinet Member for Community and Cultural Services

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16/10/2017

Hi all, if you're a member of the 'beautiful village of Bolton le Sands' group you will have seen some posts about the library being refurbed and the opening hours being posted. You may be wondering why nothing has been posted in here - honest answer is that we've had precisely zero communication from the Council so we're picking up snippets the same as everyone else. Still, it seems things are moving nicely apace.

Cheers
Dave

15/09/2017

Whilst we wait for news on the library, does anybody fancy serving the village on the Parish Council???

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Applications for co-option onto the Parish Council are warmly invited.

This position is open to eligible candidates who wish to take an active part in the decision-making process of the Parish and to represent the interests of the whole community.

Parish Council Meetings are held on the first Monday of each month (except August) at 7:00pm at the Old Boy’s Grammar School, St Michael’s Lane, Bolton-le-Sands.

Please see website (http://www.boltonlesandsvillage.org.uk/council.html) for full details

Anyone interested in joining the Parish Council should write to:
The Clerk to the Council
No 2
The Shore, Bolton-le-Sands

Or alternatively e-mail her at [email protected]

by Friday 22nd September 2017

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14/07/2017

Email from LCC re: yesterday's decision:
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Cabinet decision regarding proposals for reopening libraries

I am also writing to inform you that a decision has been made today (13 July 2017) by Lancashire County Council's cabinet regarding the reopening of libraries in Lancashire.


Further details of the decision are available at the link below. All decisions of the county council are subject to a three day call-in period.

http://www.lancashire.gov.uk/council/strategies-policies-plans/libraries-and-archives/reopening-libraries.aspx

The county council will continue to work with community groups that have submitted proposals to take over ownership of library buildings under the community asset transfer policy where a decision about that site has been deferred. Decisions on these proposals will be taken as soon as possible.

The decision has been made to reopen libraries which closed last year, wherever possible.

06/07/2017

Good Afternoon everyone, Vince Hart has attended a brief meeting with Councillor Buckley from Lancs CC and asked me to post the following:
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We have been told that BLS Library is expected to re-open possibly between October and April next year. This depends on the Cabinet paper which has been published on the LCC website and will be discussed on 13th July 2017:

http://council.lancashire.gov.uk/documents/s113612/Report.pdf
http://council.lancashire.gov.uk/ieListDocuments.aspx?CId=122&MId=6701

If it gets this gets through, then the financial proposals will go to a full LCC council meeting two weeks later. If the proposals get through this stage the officers will be asked to work up details.

Following a potted history of his election , Councilor Peter Buckley outlined his historical concerns about the closure of Libraries which he fought against. He went on to explain the Labour policy of closing 32? Libraries and the new administrations proposal (election manifesto) to transfer four to community ownership, fourteen to have a phased reopening and the remainder to be reviewed (see Cabinet paper above)

Silverdale library will re-open under LCC control.

While the BLS proposal was received by the LCC it does not appear to have been evaluated by officers who put everything on hold pending the election outcome! Four of the many asset transfer proposals were reviewed and approved "in principle" by officers last year and will go ahead.

The time line for re-opening libraries will depend officers preparing an assessment of what each library requires (structural and operational repairs; budgets/service standards; staffing including recruitment and training; utilities review and re connection; legionella tests; Health and Safety Audits; Security Audits etc)

BLS library was "prepared for market"... ie stripped of all movable assets, however the book stocks are held in other Library facilities and it is understood that the other equipment including IT equipment are in store.

Officers will prepare a report for LCC Cabinet detailing the for-going and make recommendations on the time lines based on an analysis of the above factors. This paper is unlikely to be prepared before October given the holiday season and the commitments of officers.

We again asked about the possibility of the Mobile Library visiting the village which Councilor Buckley said he would look into and let us know.

So in summary what is being proposed as things stand will be a LCC reopening of the BLS Library, hopefully by the end of the year, with an agreed service standard. Where the LCC budget is insufficient to meet the service standard (eg opening hours) a "Friends of BLS Community Library Hub" will try to meet the shortfall either in terms of volunteer inputs and or fund raising. If the Cabinet paper above is approved and the Full Council approve the budget amendment to finance it, we should have an input to setting the service standard for the future Cabinet paper.

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So, without counting any chickens, that sounds like good news to me!

In the long term we still need to understand if there is a need for volunteers to help with the successful operation of the building/library but for now let us all look forward to the reopening of this community asset.

Dave