Guests and VIPs are due to attend the official opening of the brand new library at 3pm on Wednesday, 22 January, 2014 which is providing the town with a first class facility fit for 21st Century.
Denbighshire’s Cabinet Lead Member with responsibility for libraries, Councillor Huw Jones, explained:
“This has been an exciting project for the Council to undertake at a time when other authorities are looking to close and the new facility is now an important community resource centre – a social centre and a hub for the community.
“The library now provides a whole range of services for people in partnership with other information and learning providers as well as the Third Sector – creating an environment where all of the community are happy to visit.”
Jamie Groves, Denbighshire’s Head of Communications, Marketing and Leisure, added:
“This modern facility has been designed to be a place of inspiration and aspiration – a cultural and educational hub in the community and an attractive environment to provide access to high quality resources as well as delivering opportunities for shared use and partnership working.”
Jamie continued:
“Prestatyn has seen unprecedented change in recent years and I am proud we have been able to provide such a wonderful and modern facility for the community here, when many other authorities are having to consider closing similar provisions, we in Denbighshire continue to buck the trend – underpinning our commitment to providing these vital services to the people of Denbighshire.”
Denbighshire has invested £1m in this innovative development including a £300k maximum grant (one of only two in Wales) from CyMAL (Welsh Government Museums and Libraries Division). This development provides value for money for the taxpayer as a new build would have cost in the region of £2m.
As part of this innovative approach, the library will serve as a hub for Third Sector health and social care services that will be able to use the counselling rooms, computer terminals and help desks.
There will be a single point information/customer service desk, which will also provide signposting to specialist support services and expertise including a portal for potential volunteers.
It will also see Education, Learning and Library coming together under the umbrella of a shared ‘learning community’ approach in partnership with the College as well Schools.
This could include: business support; technology; engaging young people; adult learning; employment and recruitment training; literacy numeracy; ICT skills. The key driver is to provide a learning and information community resource that is bespoke to the needs of both the adults and young people of Prestatyn
The design includes flexible learning spaces for one to one work, small or larger groups, counselling rooms, hot desks for information and advisory services and new technology.
