The first Community Library in the Vale of Glamorgan was opened on Saturday 17th March at St Brides Major Church Hall by the Archdeacon of Margam, the Venerable Philip Morris. Run by volunteers from the parish of Ewenny and St Brides Major, the library will be open for five hours a week, with books supplied by the Vale of Glamorgan Library Service. The Community Library replaces the Mobile Library, which ceased operation at the end of 2011.
The opening was attended by political and civic leaders, including Alun Cairns MP, Jane Hutt AM, Andrew RT Davies AM, Councillor Gordon Kemp, Leader of the Vale of Glamorgan County Council and Councillor Audrey Preston, representing the Mayor of the Vale of Glamorgan. Andrew RT Davies, leader of the Conservative Group in the National Assembly said “It is incredibly heart-warming to see such enthusiasm and initiative from the local community.” Jane Hutt AM, Minister of Finance and Leader of the House, said “This is an excellent idea and would go a long way to filling the gap that the ending of the mobile library service caused.”
In opening the Library, the Archdeacon of Margam, who is also priest-in-charge of Ewenny and St Brides Major, said “The Community Library is another example of the Church putting the ‘Big Society’ into action by empowering communities to take responsibility for those services that are no longer being provided by local or national Government.” He thanked those who had driven the project forward, in particular Shirley Haworth and Robert Carveth, members of the St Brides Major Church Council, who will be the ‘chief librarians’.
The opening of the St Brides Major Community Library was held at the same time as the weekly ‘Coffee and Chat’, the monthly Local Produce Market, and the annual raffle for the Multiple Sclerosis Society, and was attended by 150 people.
The Library has been provided with an initial supply of 250 books by the Vale of Glamorgan Library Service, including large print and children’s books. Books are borrowed on the same basis as the Vale’s other libraries for a period of a fortnight. A proportion of the books will be changed on a regular basis, and people will also be able to order books online. A selection of paper-books is available for purchase, particularly for holiday reading. Plans are in place to develop a Library Club for children in partnership with St Brides Major Church in Wales Primary School.
The St Brides Major Community Library is open on Saturday mornings from 10.00a.m. to 12 noon, and borrowers and browsers will be able to have a cup of coffee or tea and meet friends. It is also open on Wednesdays from 3.15p.m. to 4.15p.m., and from 5.00p.m. to 7.00p.m.
