Village library handed to the parish council
Three years of campaigning pays off
MORE than three years since Leicestershire County Council officials held a meeting to tell the village that their library had to close, the keys have been handed over to Mountsorrel Parish Council.
The library is at the bottom of the village green, housed in the Mountsorrel Learning Centre (formerly known as Church House) a blend of old and new architecture.
The building is owned by a private individual and was leased in perpetuity to the county council for housing the library, but three years ago officials met with parishioners to explain that their future plans for the library service did not include the village.
Liz Blackshaw, long time campaigner for the library, said: “The meeting was packed out, there wasn’t even standing room, it was clear that feeling in the village was very strong.
“Less than 15 years previously we had raised a lot of money to make this building suitable for a library, we were not going to let it sit idle. So together we started a campaign, we ran petitions, held demonstrations and made representations to the Library Service and the council.
“Economically it made sense to keep the library open; not only was the building at the heart of development plans for the village but good evidence suggested that communities that were able to maintain a successful library service were more vibrant and more prosperous.
“Morally too it made sense to keep the library open. The village had raised a lot of money to open the library in the first place.”
Liz said that the county council has now been persuaded to surrender the lease on the building.
She added that a new charity, which is being set up by the current owner, will take over the building and it is understood that the charity will be up and running shortly and that the parish council will take over the management, purchasing back the very library service that was to be withdrawn. Liz concluded: “We are delighted to have won.
“The library can keep on operating and new volunteers are slowly being recruited to enhance the service. Mountsorrel is a fantastic, thriving village with the library it deserves.”
The opening times for the library are:
• Monday: 2pm-5pm.
• Tuesday: 10am-1pm
and 2pm-5pm.
• Wednesday: Closed.
• Thursday: 2pm-5pm.
• Friday: 2pm-7pm.
• Saturday: 10am-1pm.
• Sunday: Closed.