23/10/2006 - Copeland libraries book their 100th birthday bashes

Two Copeland libraries are set to celebrate 100 years of lending next month.

A host of fun-packed events are planned to mark the centenaries of Cleator Moor Library and the Daniel Hay Library in Whitehaven.

Both libraries, which are run by Cumbria County Council, opened in November 1906 after being commissioned by the famous Scottish-born philanthropist Andrew Carnegie - regarded at the time as the richest man in the world.

In the same year the libraries opened, the author Catherine Cookson was born, an enormous earthquake devastated San Francisco and the Cumberland and Westmorland Wresting Association was formed.

Named after former local librarian and author Daniel Hay, the Whitehaven library’s centenary celebrations get underway on Thursday 2 November, with a display of library photographs and memorabilia. The Whitehaven Local History Society will also be dropping in with a collection of pictures showing how the town looked at the beginning of the last century.

On the same day at 5:30pm, visitors to the library will be able to enjoy a special slideshow showing the changes to children’s toys over the last 100 years.

Staff from the Beacon will be at the library from 2:30pm on Friday 3 November to talk about life in Whitehaven during Edwardian times.

A fun-filled centenary badge making session is being run for children from 2:00pm on Sunday 5 November.

From the beginning of October visitors of all ages to the Whitehaven library have also been taking part in special competitions with the chance to win book tokens.

Cleator Moor Library’s 100th birthday bash starts on Monday 6 November with special readings by well-known children’s author Julia Jarman, who based one of her books on ghostly goings on at the West Cumbrian library.

On Tuesday 7 November at 11:00am, Cumbria County Council’s Chairman Allan Caine will be at Cleator Moor library to pop the cork on its Centenary Day Celebration Party. The event will also mark the opening of an exhibition of newspaper articles, letters, miner's lamps and other local artefacts which will run until Friday 10 November.

On Thursday 9 November from 2:00pm to 4:00pm, local historian Tom Duffy will be exhibiting his collection of photographs showing Cleator Moor over the last 100 years. Celebrations at the library end on Saturday 11 November.

Councillor Roger Bingham, Cabinet member responsible for Library Services, said:

“Both libraries have seen enormous changes over the last one hundred years. Alongside the constantly updated range of books, each library now offers CDs, DVDs and state of the art internet services. What has stayed undeniably the same is both libraries’ important role in local people’s lives.

“The staff at each branch is putting on a terrific range of events next month and I hope as many of regular users and local people as possible can come along to join in the party and share their memories of using the libraries.”

ENDS

Media enquiries to Mark Graham, Media Officer on 01228-606337