New library hugely popular

Thursday October 15, 2009

It has been one month since the brand new Shepherds Bush Library officially opened and business really is booming!

In an age when less and less people are visiting libraries around the country, the new building, situated at Westfield, is bucking the trend and has recorded an incredible 700 per cent increase in membership compared to one year ago.

In September 2008, 209 people registered at the old Shepherds Bush Library on Uxbridge Road. In the last month, an astonishing 1,415 people joined the brand new library.

Records also show that during the last month, 41,000 people visited the new library – that is enough people to fill Chelsea Football Club’s Stamford Bridge stadium! This time last year, only 26,000 people went to the old building.

The number of items borrowed from the library has also rocketed from 9,000 items last year to 12,600 this year – that’s an increase of 42 per cent!

Cllr Paul Bristow, cabinet member for residents’ services, said: “Local residents cannot get to the new library quickly enough! We always knew that taking a cutting-edge library to Europe’s largest inner-city shopping centre would be a popular move and the level of interest so far really has been astounding.”

What makes this news even more remarkable is that the £2 million library was built and fitted out at zero cost to the taxpayer, with Westfield financing the library as part of their development.

With so many things on offer, it is no wonder that the new library is proving so popular. It features around 40,000 books, with over 10,000 brand new titles. Then, there is also a large study space with Wi Fi connection and public access PCs and a teenage area with computer games, music mixing software and chill-out space.

If that is not enough, there is also a dedicated space for quiet reading and children's activities and meeting and exhibition spaces.
 
The Work Zone, an employment bureau housed inside the library, has also been inundated with customers. It provides a dedicated recruitment and retention service for retailers and employers to fill their jobs locally and has received numerous enquiries.

Cllr Bristow added: “The new building is the most innovative library in the country, the undoubted jewel in the crown. For those of you who have not visited yet, I am sure that the building will be a real surprise. Make sure that you pop in next time you are doing your shopping at Westfield. I am sure you will be impressed with what you see.”

The new library can be found opposite Debenhams at Westfield.