The future of Mansfield Library - tell us what you think

On Wednesday 4 February 2009 Nottinghamshire County Council Councillors approved proposals for a £4.5 millon redevelopment of Mansfield Library which will improve facilities and completely refurbish the library.

What improvements do you want to see at Mansfield Library?
Get involved and send us your comments.

Councillors voted in favour of the scheme which will see the library transformed into a state of the art - flagship library for the county.  The new plans will also see the County Contact point move from Regent’s Street into the new look library making it easier for local people to access information and advice.

The newly refurbished library will not only be a great place to choose a book it will also provide the spaces and opportunities to encourage people to try something different; whether that’s through learning or simply finding a different way to relax and enjoy yourself!

Councillor Steve Carroll, Cabinet Member for Culture and Regeneration said: “We have been looking at plans for Mansfield Library for quite some time; local people may remember late last year we were in talks with Mansfield District Council about building a new library.  A number of issues coupled with the current economic downturn have meant that those proposals have had to be re-looked at.  This has resulted in - I’m pleased to say - the approved plans for a complete refurbishment at the current location.”

Cllr Carroll adds: “The opportunities for the library refurbishment are endless and that’s why I would really encourage people who currently use the library and maybe those who haven’t been in for a while or ever to take part in the consultation activity.”

If the project planning, further design work and associated planning permissions go to plan it is hoped that construction work will begin this autumn with a proposed finish date of autumn 2010.  Whilst work is carried out the current library will have to close, during this time a temporary library will be created in the town centre to ensure people can still use key facilities.

The County Council are keen to find out what local people think of their current plans and what ideas people might have on how the new library may look along with what types of activities, services and events they would like to see offered.

Get involved and send us your comments

You can have your say on the future of Mansfield Library by

• filling in the consultation form online, or
• picking up a leaflet from Mansfield Library and completing your comments before returning it to the library or posting it to

           Mansfield Library Consultation
           Libraries Archives and Information
           Nottinghamshire County Council
           County Hall
           West Bridgford
           Nottingham
           NG2 7QP.

What are the benefits of refurbishing the current library and relocating the County Contact Point?

• We will transform Mansfield Library into a flagship library for the county and the people of Mansfield
• The location in Four Seasons Shopping Centre in the centre of Mansfield is excellent, and the size of the building gives us lots of opportunity to develop better resources and services
• Mansfield residents will have a tailor made library, with excellent new services to inspire people of all ages and backgrounds to enjoy books and reading, access information and learning and participate in a new range of events, workshops, activities and programmes.
• The refurbishments mean we can also improve the library facilities, such as the café, help desks and meeting rooms. We could also install self service book checkouts.
• We don’t just want to improve inside the library but will also try and improve the area outside of the library, especially the entrance lobby and the look of the library from the street.
• Bringing the County Contact service into the library will mean you can have face to face contact with the County Council and other public service agencies in one place, giving you easy access to the services you need.

What will the new library look like?

We can’t design the new library until we know what services you need and think are important, but we do have an idea of how it could look.