Talks start on Stromness library relocation
(Story dated: Thursday, January 29, 2004)

Ambitious plans are in the pipeline which could see the library in Stromness move to a new location.

The current library, based at the foot of Hellihole Road, is too cramped for the service it provides, according to Stromness community councillor Dr John Brown.

At the recent community council meeting, he told his fellow members that new facilities were urgently needed. The current public library has been housed in the same building for nearly 100 years, since it was built in 1905.

Dr Brown said he has been in discussions with Orkney’s chief librarian Mr Bobby Leslie regarding proposals to relocate the service.

The library service in Kirkwall has been boosted after the opening of a purpose-built, brand new building in Junction Road in November last year. The facility is in stark contrast to the cramped surroundings of the Kirkwall library’s previous home in Laing Street. The new £3.5 million Orkney library in Kirkwall offers the public a state of the art service, providing book loans, improved Internet access and extra archive materials.

Dr Brown said he felt the Stromness library could benefit from the same treatment.

It was also important to note that Stromness library had no disabled access, Dr Brown said.

He said the current Stromness library building would be the perfect setting for an old style Town House that “could generate a lot of cash”, in the same way that the the existing town house – situated next to the Stromness Hotel at the pierhead – is to become the base for NHS Orkney’s community mental health team, made up of community psychiatric nurses, social workers and occupational therapists.

The building also provides the venue for Stromness Community Council meetings.

Dr Brown’s suggestion went down well with the other community councillors, who said they had no objections to the idea.

Chief librarian Bobby Leslie said it was still early days regarding the plans, but was delighted Dr Brown had raised the issue.

“He was thinking very, very much along the same lines as I was. The current building is a nice building but it is just dated,” he said.

Mr Leslie, who is due to retire from his post soon, said he would like the library to be relocated to an area that provided easier access for its users.

“I was looking over to an area at the pier head where you have easily accessible parking, and the council has property in that area.”

Mr Leslie added that the suggestion to create a new library in Stromness had come from a best value review.

However, he said nothing concrete has been decided yet, adding it would be a “long term project”.

Mr Leslie said he would like to see a new facility in Stromness, offering a library service and rooms for local groups, much like the Kirkwall complex.

“I would like to see Stromness getting a good new building because they are good users of the library,” he added.