A “supermobile” library providing a range of advanced services to remote communities in North Yorkshire will begin operating a new schedule later this month.
From October 24, North Yorkshire County Council’s supermobile will call at twenty two locations on a rolling fortnightly timetable. Unlike the conventional mobile libraries, which were withdrawn last month, the supermobile offers a superior service, carrying around 3,000 items of stock – including books, DVDs, videos, and audio books – and offering internet access via satellite.
The supermobile will remain at each location for two hours, providing a much longer opportunity for users to take advantage of the service.
Councillor Chris Metcalfe, Executive Member for North Yorkshire said:
We know, of course, that the withdrawal of the mobile libraries created concerns for people who valued their service and who live in the more remote parts of the county.
What we are trying to do here is to offer a much improved replacement. While the supermobile will not be able to replicate the routes of all the mobiles entirely, we have drawn up a schedule which attempts to ensure that people living furthest away from our library network will have the opportunity to borrow books and audio and video items from a much larger range of stock, with the added benefit of internet access.
He added:
By designing a schedule based on two-hourly stops, we hope that the supermobile might in time become a focal point for other community services, much in the way that static building-based libraries are used by a wide range of organisations such as citizens’ advice.
We are already working actively with partners to think about using these visits as focal points to involve other agencies and community activity.
In addition to the introduction of the new supermobile schedule, the Home Library Service has been extended to accommodate the needs of users of the former mobile library service, and the service is also in discussion with a number of communities with plans to set up book collections in village halls, etc.
The supermobile schedule is as follows:
Week One (first week of operation October 24)
-
Morning
Weaverthorpe
10.30 – 12.30
Afternoon
Sherburn
2.00 – 4.00
Evening
Hovingham
5.00 – 7.00
Tuesday
Morning
Balne
10.30 – 12.30
Afternoon
Brotherton
2.00 – 4.00
Wednesday
Morning
Buckden
10.30 – 12.30
Afternoon
Kettlewell
2.00 – 4.00
Thursday
Morning
Danby
10.30 – 12.30
Afternoon
Castleton
2.00 – 4.00
Evening
Staithes
5.00 – 7.00
Friday
Vehicle Service
Week Two (first week of operation October 31)
-
Monday
Morning
Robin Hoods Bay
10 – 12
Afternoon
Sleights
1.30 – 3.30
Evening
Rosedale
5.30 – 7.30
Tuesday
Morning
Eggborough
10.30 – 12.30
Afternoon
Kirk Smeaton
2.00 – 4.00
Wednesday
Morning
Masham
10.00 – 12.00
Afternoon
Reeth
2.00 – 4.00
Thursday
Morning
Osmotherley
10.00 – 12.00
Afternoon
Cowling
3.30 – 5.30
Friday
Morning
Sheriff Hutton
10.00 – 12.00
Afternoon
Slingsby
2.00 – 4.00
Saturday
Morning
Pateley Bridge
10.00 – 12.00*
*Although there remains a static library at Pateley Bridge, it is not currently compliant with legislation concerning disabled access; the supermobile, which does comply with the requirements, will thus provide a service for people unable to use the library building.
