On Friday (1 August) March Library celebrated 25 years of serving the community, keeping visitors of all ages socially and culturally connected since 2000.
Members of the library service, past and present, councillors and local partners gathered at the library to celebrate the milestone, with live music, cake, and a few words from Councillor Alison Whelan, Chair of the Communities, Social Mobility and Inclusion committee at Cambridgeshire County Council.
March Library opened its doors on Tuesday 1 August 2000, the same year Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire topped the best-selling book charts and Team GB struck gold at the Olympic Games in Sydney. The former library on Gordon Avenue had welcomed visitors since the 1950s, and the very first library in March, the Isle of Ely County Library, opened in 1926 under librarian Miss Alison Philip.
25 years on and the library has been at the heart of the community ever since – supporting visitors of all ages to come together for social connection and to engage with culture and creativity.
Each month March Library welcomes more than 7,000 visitors and issues around 50,000 books a year, with James Patterson the most-borrowed author for adults and Daisy Meadows the most-borrowed author for children – reflecting the diverse and vibrant communities the library serves.
The library is also home to March Registration Office and welcomes numerous newborns and happy couples each year - which over the years has seen various fun-themed weddings celebrated in the ceremony room, including Star Wars.
Since opening in 2000, March Library has evolved and expanded its services to meet the changing needs of residents. Last September, the library unveiled a new innovative and state of the art community space, known as EverySpace - designed to support people to develop their digital skills through a range of hands-on technologies, such as video editing and sound recording equipment.
Transforming the space in the library has also enabled local groups and organisations to hold more workshops and events, including 20Twenty Productions who run creative sessions for young people and provide them with vital IT skills for the future.
Councillor Alison Whelan, Chair of the Communities, Social Mobility and Inclusion committee at Cambridgeshire County Council said: “For 25 years March Library has provided a vital service for the local community.
“When you step through the doors, you’re welcomed into a vibrant space where you can browse the shelves, sit and read, access computers and Wi-Fi for free, or get involved with a variety of events and activities, including the ever-popular Rhymetime and weekly craft cafes.
“The library is hugely valued by those who live in March and the surrounding areas and it’s lovely to see people of all ages and backgrounds visiting for books and so much more.”
Liz Pearson, Community Library Assistant for Cambridgeshire Libraries said: “I have worked at March Library for 42 years, so it is my second home. When we moved from Gordon Avenue to the much bigger City Road premises, we were all a bit anxious, but it was the best thing that could have happened to March.
“The community have benefited from having such a splendid library and I continue to enjoy working with such lovely staff and members of the public.”
More information can be found at www.cambridgeshire.gov.uk/libraries.
