Community Group Revitalizes Wirral Library Following Council Closure

The community group responsible for the revival of a Wirral library branch identified coffee as an unexpected key element in its operation. Wallasey Village library, established in 1938, ceased operations in 2022. This closure was part of a broader shutdown affecting eight other branches across the peninsula, attributed to the local authority’s inability to sustain their funding. In response, the community group assumed control, leading to the complete reopening of the facility. It now features a café, a community room, a bookshop, and a lending library. Ray Lyons, a trustee, stated that the library initiative would likely not have been sustainable without the presence of the café. He explained, “It’s a place that draws people in,” adding, “They have a coffee and then might buy a book or borrow one.” Ian McGinn, who manages the café, which commenced operations last month prior to the other amenities, noted initial skepticism from some of his colleagues in the catering sector. However, he reported “queues out the door” since its opening. During the renovation process, builders uncovered numerous artifacts, primarily items that had slipped behind the cast iron radiators, according to Mr. McGinn. He detailed the discovery of “library cards from 1940, lots of old money, layers of time – from Um-Bongos [drink cartons] from the 1990s to air raid warden pamphlets from the 1940s,” adding, “We’ll eventually display them on the walls.” Ian Lewis, a local Conservative councillor who spearheaded the initiative, indicated that the revitalized library would diverge significantly from conventional models. He mentioned the removal of the elevated platform where “fierce librarians” had been positioned in past decades, emphasizing that a primary focus for the library would be families and children. He further stated, “We wanted to make a space for people who hadn’t set foot in a library for a long time, so we made a café.” Lewis also noted that the absence of a community center in Wallasey suggests the community room will see extensive use. Volunteers will staff the lending library. Ian Lewis acknowledged that staff salaries represented the largest expenditure for the local council, but he also pointed out that the community group would be able to tap into funding sources unavailable to local authorities. Local residents have contributed books to the lending library, and retired librarian Sue Simpson, who supervised the cataloguing of over 4,000 volumes, described the process as “fascinating.” Simpson remarked, “One of our key things is social isolation.” She expressed hope that “people will come in here, borrow a book and then be linked up with other people, and best of all – it’s free!”