Our elective bibliotheca correspondent Angus Young takes us behind the scene of a community gem.
As you probably realise by now, libraries hold a very special place in the hearts of all those who dwell in Curiosity Towers. However, while most of the public libraries in Hull are operated by the city council’s arms-length company Hull Culture and Leisure, did you know there’s one being run entirely on the goodwill and hard graft of volunteers?

Members of the Anlaby Park Community Library have recently celebrated the 10th anniversary of taking over responsibility for the building which lies in the heart of Anlaby Park in West Hull. Their story is one of people power eventually winning the day after councillors voted to close it as a result of funding cuts triggered by the then coalition government’s austerity programme. While opening hours at other libraries across Hull were reduced as part of the cutbacks, it was decided to completely shut the venue in The Greenway. However regular users and nearby residents who had campaigned to keep it open then opened talks with the council aimed at taking it over and running it themselves.

Last August marked a decade since a lease was signed and the keys were handed over and the new trustees have never looked back. Trustee and operational manager Mandy Abdulla said: “We fought a very hard campaign and were so determined that we decided that the council closing the library would only be the start. It took a while for the lease to get sorted out but we never gave up. Barbara Bourne, who led the campaign, was really instrumental in pushing for it.”
Today, set in the middle of a picturesque green, the library is flourishing with the word ‘Community’ having been deliberately added to its previous title. Despite no longer being part of the council’s library service, the trust’s relationship with the authority and HCAL remains positive with books and the IT system being supplied by the council through service level agreements. It also hosts a range of daily activities from art and craft groups to baby bounce sessions and talks by guest speakers. Ironically, it now boasts longer opening hours than most of its council-run equivalents.

The library also stages three big fund-raising outdoor events each year on the surrounding green, including a Spring Fayre on May 5, live music concert on July 13 and a festive spectacular just before Christmas. “It’s been a learning curve for all of us from day one but virtually everyone who was involved ten years ago is still here,” said Mandy “In a way, that’s becoming a bit of a problem because we are all getting older and it would be nice if we could attract some younger faces to get involved in running the library. We have got a great bunch of volunteers and we always say that if you visit once, someone will probably find a job for you to do before you leave.”
Now run as a charity, the library’s trustees are currently negotiating with the council over a long-term lease through a formal asset transfer process. While it’s involved a lot of paperwork, Mandy believes it’s a necessary step. “Ultimately, it would allow us to apply for more funding and hopefully secure the long-term future of the library,” she explained. “The building has been here for around 100 years, initially as a sports club with tennis courts outside, so it really is part of the local community. We would like it to be here for generations to come.”