Council trials ‘out-of-hours’ library at Eynsham

Council trials ‘out-of-hours’ library at Eynsham

Eynsham residents can now visit their local library outside normal opening hours using an exciting new system being trialled by Oxfordshire County Council.

The self-service scheme gives members access to the building late into the evening and at weekends, extending access to books, online services and study space.

Library members should speak to local staff to register to use the access system

If successful the scheme will be rolled out to other libraries across the county, making them available to thousands of people who cannot currently visit during normal working hours.

It means giving Oxfordshire residents unprecedented access to library and wider council services, and cementing libraries’ position as important focal points at the heart of the communities they serve. The system ‘went live’ at Summertown in late September.

Huge potential

Oxfordshire County Council’s cabinet Member for Cultural Services Lorraine Lindsay-Gale said: “This is hugely exciting and has the potential to be a real ‘game-changer’ in terms of opening up access to local libraries and encouraging more people through the doors.

“It’s a little bit like swiping your card at the entrance to your bank after it has closed to use the cash machines.

“We’re really keen to see how people take to the idea at these two libraries so we can assess the scope for rolling it out more widely across the county. That’s ultimately what we would like to do, and we know other councils are looking at introducing similar schemes elsewhere.

She added: “It will be a case of seeing how things go and looking at what we can do to improve the service as we go. Both Eynsham and Summertown libraries are very well supported at the heart of thriving communities, where we believe there is great potential for this to be a success.”

Refurbishments at Eynsham

In addition to the newly installed keypad entry system. Eynsham library is reopening with a new-look interior, with refurbishments including: improved shelving throughout, soft seating, carpeting, lighting upgrades and staff counter, all designed to provide a light and open feel to encourage greater use of the library by the community.