Two libraries in Barnsley close – for refurbishment
Libraries in Darfield and Goldthorpe to benefit from local council’s refurbishment programme
Last week, the BBC reported that public libraries are in crisis as local authorities across the country are forced cut services. As many as 180 council-run libraries have closed or been taken over by volunteer groups since 2016, said the report, with the loss of some 2,000 jobs. In that context, news that Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council is to close two libraries later this month was an immediate cause of concern.
But in fact things are more positive than they at first might seem.
Visualisations of how the refurbished Darfield and Goldthorpe libraries will look, image courtesy of Barnsley Metropolitan District Council
Darfield Library will close on Tuesday, September 24 and Goldthorpe Library will close the following day – but both are expected to reopen in the new year, having been transformed into modern, flexible library spaces. The work will be paid for through a grant of £506,836 from the UK Shared Prosperity Fund.
The extensive refurbishment will include new furnishings as well as work to make the buildings more sustainable and energy efficient, in line with the local council’s wider sustainability targets.
While the refurbishment work is carried out, Barnsley Libraries will provide additional support to those in the community who need it. Alternative library provision can be found in nearby Thurnscoe and Wombwell, while the free Home Library Service delivers books to your doorstep.
Of course, modern libraries do much more than simply lend out books. They offer access to computers and a range of online services, often provide activities and clubs of one sort or another, and are also a free, warm place for people might be struggling during the winter.
But the council is optimistic that the lack of this valuable resource over the next few months will be worth it in the long run. Indeed, the council’s refurbishment of libraries in both Hoyland and Dodworth in 2022 has proven very successful.
Cllr Wendy Cain, Cabinet Spokesperson for Public Health and Communities at Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council, says: ‘Since the start of the Libraries Refurbishment Programme, we’ve made some great progress across the borough, and we’re excited that our local communities will be able to enjoy two more updated branches. We remain committed to creating welcoming, exciting and sustainable places where people can meet, learn, study and work.’
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