Date published: 2024-10-22 | Category: Keynsham Area, Libraries
Residents in Keynsham are invited to step into Keynsham Library, Information & Advice Service’s past, present and future at an event to celebrate the evolution of the library since the service opened in Keynsham in 1941.
The event on Friday, October 25 from 3pm to 6pm at Keynsham Community Space also celebrates the library’s ten-year anniversary in its current building and is the culmination of a two-week programme of events which have included history talks, community groups and children’s crafts.
The drop-in celebration and exhibition in cooperation with the Keynsham and Saltford Local History Society is part of Bath & North East Somerset Council’s year-long celebrations of 100 years of free public library services in B&NES.
It will also be a chance for residents to meet local organisations that work closely with the library service, such as Age UK, Dial a Ride, Citizens Advice BANES and Future Bright.
Keynsham Library opened on 4 July 1941 in the Old Liberal Club on Bath Hill when Keynsham was under the area of Somerset County Council. From the late 1950s onwards it became the busiest library in Somerset and in 1965 moved into Temple Street.
In 2011 the building was demolished to make way for the council’s new Civic Centre, Library and Community Space which became the new home for the library in October 2014, combining with the One Stop Shop to provide residents with access to council services in one place.
Keynsham Library, Information and Advice Services today offer books, study spaces and computers, council services, a Sensory Space, and refreshments from Pam’s Pantry. In 2023-24, 86,000 people visited the library and numbers continue to increase.
Councillor Tim Ball, cabinet member for Neighbourhood Services, said: “Libraries are the heart of our communities and are special places where everyone is welcome to explore, connect and grow together. They also provide access to vital services and support people’s health and wellbeing.
“Keynsham Library and Information Service’s 10-year anniversary is a chance to celebrate everything it offers and go down memory lane, right back to its roots in 1941.”
Visit the Bath and North East Somerset Libraries website for further updates on the centenary celebrations and details of regular library events throughout the year.
Find out more about the council’s library and information services.
ENDS