DUNOON Library will be subject to a dramatic downsize in just over a week’s time, as it’s being relocated in The Queen’s Hall.
The shock announcement came yesterday morning when a number of library users were told by staff that the facility would be closing on Monday and reopening on Tuesday, March 11. Its understood the library will be relocated to two meeting rooms on the ground floor of the building. Currently the facility occupies an enormous space on the first floor which stretches almost the full length of the Queen’s Hall. The relocation of the library next week means the facility will be closed on World Book Day on March 6.
According to reports from library users, staff had only found out about the move that morning and there has been wide spread condemnation of the relocation on local social media channels with many, who are angry at this sudden announcement, sharing liveArgyll’s email address to send a letter of complaint.
A library user who contacted this newspaper yesterday was fuming that there had been no proper notification of the move to users and she was deeply concerned over the size of the two proposed separate rooms which will now be used as a library.
She explained: “I’m a student and I use the library every week for study, as do so many others, I was told today, (Thursday), by a member of staff that the entire library which occupies a large section of the firstfloor of the Queen’s Hall is to be closed and moved to two tiny rooms on the ground floor. What is going on? I would love to know what consultation was taken about this decision? It’s pretty clear that loads of the book stock will now go as the two rooms could not possibly house what the current library has and what happens to quiet study areas with PC use on a floor with loud fitness classes next door? Nobody who uses the library that I know of knew anything about this downsizing, it’s deeply concerning. We were all told that the new Queen’s Hall would house a large library with amazing views over the Clyde, but then we were also told the building would have a large cafe which is now a full time gym. So our council tax goes up but our library is being downsized.”
Dunoon library was relocated from Castle House to a large purpose built facility in 1993, (which is now Bute and Cowal Vets), then in 2018 it was moved again along with 6,000 books to the Queen’s Hall following the building’s major £13m refurbishment. At the time of the reopening of the Queen’s Hall this newspaper was invited for a grand tour and a published report on the visit stated: “The first floor features what will be Dunoon library – boasting stunning views over the Clyde and beyond. Surely this is the library with the best view in Scotland?”
An official statement from liveArgyll on Thursday evening was posted online and read: “After carefully monitoring and analysing the overall use of The Queen’s Hall, liveArgyll is repurposing certain areas of the building to better meet community needs while ensuring that key services, including the library, remain accessible. The library is not closing but will be relocating to a different space within the building. We are committed to maintaining a dedicated children’s space, ensuring that young readers and Bookbug attendees continue to have an engaging and welcoming environment. The library will still offer a great collection of books and resources for the community to enjoy, with access still available to our wider collection across Argyll and Bute. This move will not impact public access to existing facilities within the hall, including toilets, Wi-Fi, people’s network computers, and other amenities.”
The statement added: “By repurposing the vacated space, we will be creating additional opportunities for community use. Further details will be announced in due course. Our goal is to maximise the potential of The Queen’s Hall while continuing to provide essential services for residents. Dunoon Library will temporarily close from Monday, March 3, reopening on Tuesday, March 11, in its new space. During this period, we encourage our members to take advantage of our extensive digital resources: BorrowBox: Access a wide range of eBooks and eAudiobooks. PressReader: Read newspapers and magazines from around the world. For more information on these digital resources, please visit our website.
“We appreciate your understanding during this transition and will keep you updated with further details about the reorganisation as they become available. Thank you for your continued support.”
There will be a full detailed report about this story in next week’s Observer.
