Churston Library is reaching its 50th birthday this spring – with customers invited to all the celebrations!
The library in the Torbay community opened on March 1st 1973, and last year issued over 32,000 books. Over 6,000 people were welcomed to a variety of events held in the library throughout 2022.
Churston Library Supervisor Sarah Kennedy said: “We’re all so excited to be celebrating this massive milestone in Churston Library’s history. I call Churston the sunshine library as it overlooks the beach and it’s always (nearly always!) sunny there. It is the sort of library where you get to know customers well and become part of their lives – they bring their kids along to Bounce & Rhyme groups when they’re little, then they do our Summer Reading Challenge and Secret Book Quest and grow up to be adult book lovers who also value everything else we offer to the community.”
“There is a strong and productive Friends Group here too who put on coach trips and regular coffee mornings for the community, and have done an excellent job in raising money for other library events and equipment. All in all Churston Library is a wonderful warm thriving community, and I’m so pleased we’re celebrating this half century.”
The anniversary date – Wednesday 1st March, 2.30pm – will feature a celebratory tea party where staff have invited customers, volunteers, members of the friends’ group, local councillors, previous staff members and their community builders.
Photo credit: Jim Wileman
Other birthday celebrations for Churston Library’s golden year throughout 2023 include:
A children’s tea party, magic show and teddy bear sleepover
Book displays of the best loved books of the past five decades
A display of 1970’s nostalgia
A children’s competition, involving local schools, to design sketches of fantasy libraries of the future which will be displayed later in the year
An anniversary coffee morning organised by the Friends of Churston Library on Monday 17th April with everyone welcome
A bumper community day ‘A Fun Palace’ on Saturday 1st October to celebrate and learn more about the local environment.
For updated information check Churston Library’s social media and go to friendsofchurstonlibrary.org/
A competition was launched at the start of the year asking for designs for a commemorative logo to mark the library’s 50th anniversary. The finalists are being displayed in the library and the overall winners will be used on promotional material throughout the year including on commemorative book marks for customers to take home.
Churston Library, in Broadsands Road, is open six days a week and serves as a friendly, welcoming, warm hub for the whole community. There are regular children’s activities including the Saturday Lego Club, Bounce & Rhyme, Sensory Stay & Play, Summer Reading Challenge, Secret Book Quest, and holiday craft clubs. Adults enjoy the free WiFi, public computers, free hot drinks throughout the winter months, a busy Knit & Chat group, games afternoons, ukulele lessons and more. There are also volunteers on hand to help with IT questions.
Libraries Unlimited, an independent staff and community owned charity, runs a network of libraries in Devon and Torbay. Join up for free by filling in the online form. Join the Library – Devon (devonlibraries.org.uk) or Torbay (torbaylibraries.org.uk). Follow Libraries Unlimited on Facebook.
For further information and full contact details please visit our web page librariesunlimited.org.uk.
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