Central library closure

[pat545]

Tell them they can have The Old Town Hall.

 

Complete with the council!

[mickey finn]

How do we save Sheffield City Library from foreign investors?

 

Come up with more money and better ideas for a start.

[Detetcive]

I hope the Council are talking to the universities about this - surely with the Unis' financial clout and learning ethos, a joint venture should be on the cards...??

[Guest makapaka]

If it moved to the old town hall building big big plus. If it doesn't - no thanks. Will end up with the library being moved to some unused council office somewhere.

[lazarus]

Three Hotels within a 500 yard radius of the Central Library, why another one?

[jaffa1]

can the city afford to spend £30m on a building which is not used as much as it was in the past? No

should the city look to maximise its assets in a way that keeps a library in town while at the same time bring in additional revenue? Yes

The library is not used much now because they drastically cut the opening times some years ago. People don't just go there just to read books, there's lots of family research done here as well as the Shoreham Street Archives (that's when you can catch them open)

There's thousands of old Sheffield pictures stored here as well as old Sheffield maps and micro films of old Sheffield newspapers from the 1880s, all for free access to the public.

Where is all this stock going to go and will it still be accessible to the public?

[Bob Arctor]

One thing is for sure; that JG Graves fellow did quite a lot for Sheffield. Where are our modern benefactors? Busy stuffing money into tax havens, probably.

[Eater Sundae]

The library is not used much now because they drastically cut the opening times some years ago. People don't just go there just to read books, there's lots of family research done here as well as the Shoreham Street Archives (that's when you can catch them open)

There's thousands of old Sheffield pictures stored here as well as old Sheffield maps and micro films of old Sheffield newspapers from the 1880s, all for free access to the public.

Where is all this stock going to go and will it still be accessible to the public?

 

These are key issues.

 

The facilities, archives and services provided by the Library must be retained. Provided they are, ideally in a purpose built structure to meet the storage and access needs, then I'm all for this. There is the possibility to achieve:

1. Long term protection and maintenance of a listed building

2. Further economic stimulus to the area

3. A well designed, purpose built library/archive, to further advance the operation of the library (how about a joint venture with one of the universities?)

4. Protection of the Graves Art gallery.

 

This is an opportunity to achieve all of the above. I hope they get it right.

 

In the case of the Graves Art Gallery. As its purpose should (in my opinion) be to display, protect and archive its art collection, then I don't think it necessarily needs to be retained in the current building, provided that a suitable alternative can be found, long term.

 

I would be happy with the whole of the building being developed as a hotel, provided that the money received was enough to create a replacement library and gallery, and was used for those purposes, to provide a permanent facility, available to all.

[Bob Arctor]

These are key issues.

 

The facilities, archives and services provided by the Library must be retained. Provided they are, ideally in a purpose built structure to meet the storage and access needs, then I'm all for this. There is the possibility to achieve:

1. Long term protection and maintenance of a listed building

2. Further economic stimulus to the area

3. A well designed, purpose built library/archive, to further advance the operation of the library (how about a joint venture with one of the universities?)

4. Protection of the Graves Art gallery.

 

This is an opportunity to achieve all of the above. I hope they get it right.

 

In the case of the Graves Art Gallery. As its purpose should (in my opinion) be to display, protect and archive its art collection, then I don't think it necessarily needs to be retained in the current building, provided that a suitable alternative can be found, long term.

 

I would be happy with the whole of the building being developed as a hotel, provided that the money received was enough to create a replacement library and gallery, and was used for those purposes, to provide a permanent facility, available to all.

 

I fully agree with this. I like the building but I wouldn't be too upset if the library and/or gallery moved, but we mustn't lose them.

[Eater Sundae]

There could be an opportunity here to create a new library/gallery. I would love it if the council had the sort of aspiration to go for it with a high profile architectural design house, and chase architectural awards, for a change.

 

Obviously, this would depend on the value of the existing library building and what the buyers are prepared to pay.

 

Also, It would be necessary to find a suitable site for any new building.