St James Library to start a new chapter in the Doddridge Centre
11 July 2022
The library will open its doors to customers on Monday, July 25, followed by an official opening on Saturday, July 30.
At the launch party on Saturday, 30 July we will have a variety of activities which include Steve Dimmer and his Gadety Gizmo Magic Show, face painting, arts and crafts, book hunt, design your own book cover and much more.
The Doddridge Centre has been at the heart of the St James community for many years providing a wide range of facilities and support to community and voluntary groups and enterprises.
Cllr Adam Brown, West Northamptonshire Council's Deputy Leader, and Cabinet Member for housing, culture and leisure, said: “I am delighted that we now have a new home for our library in St James.
"Libraries provide many valuable services and are an essential element to a thriving community, so accommodating it within the Doddridge Centre is the perfect fit.
"I am grateful to everyone involved in reinstating this library and commend their hard work to ensure that people can continue to benefit from this much-loved community hub."
The library will open just in time for the ever-popular Summer Reading Challenge - the theme this year being Gadgeteers.
Young participants will be able to collect everything they need to get started and enjoy their summer holiday reading, earning that all important medal on completion of the challenge.
Rachel Bott, Doddridge Centre Director, said: “After much hard work and determination by the team at the Doddridge and our supporters, I am extremely pleased to have the library housed within the Doddridge Centre.
"The local community deserves to have their library reinstated and whilst it is not in its original home, I believe the Centre provides a wonderful alternative.
"We are really looking forward to welcoming the public to our Community Library and building new relationships."
Graham Croucher, Chair of Trustees, said: “This wonderful opportunity for our community comes after many years of fighting to keep a library facility in the area, such that the community took the fight to the highest level to protect this vital facility.
"Fast forward and we are now able to once again provide a community focused library that we can all be proud of.
"We are grateful for the assistance of those local councillors who shared our vision, the support of 21 GLN, the library service, the amazing Doddridge team and the community, for their unwavering support."