Come join your local Library
As many of you will know, the Library in New Haw is a community partnered library. We set up a company some ten years ago to run the Library on a community partnership basis, with an enthusiastic staff of volunteers. Surrey County Council provide the books and premises and we can provide the majority of services that you get at any Surrey Library. Over the years we have become a local community hub – hosting events, and also renting out our large rooms for business training, exercise classes and all sorts of craft fairs, art exhibitions, book clubs and other events.
The last 18 months have been difficult – we were closed for a long while and late last year started back with a click and collect service. We are now back to our regular service with almost full time running, pleased to see all our members again and able to provide them with a full book and CD lending service together with computers / printing photocopying, magazines, greeting cards and spectacles.
In order to continue to provide a much needed service to the Community, we now need more Volunteers to help and there are a variety of ways in which this can be done.
- Become a librarian – help with issuing books / helping people to find what they want, – normally volunteers commit to one half day session each week working with a team of three or four people;
- Once you are more experienced you can apply to become a Team Leader – looking after a team of three to four people and making sure that everything is running smoothly.
- You can volunteer for the Management Group (MG) currently around 8/10 people with meetings ( via Zoom ) once a month on a Thursday evening.
At the moment we need some particular skills on the MG, for example in communications, IT and finance (audit / accountancy) but new people are always welcome whatever their skills. We also need someone to take on the business side of the Library – renting out our two large rooms, liaising with customers, raising invoices and collecting money. We also need people to sit on our Events Committee to plan and organise future events for us.
Events we have run in the past – and which we hope to start up again shortly Covid permitting
We have just run our annual Summer Reading Scheme – this is always really successful with some 120 local children taking part this year. Those who complete the course receive a medal and certificate – in previous years at a presentation in the Library – though this year Covid restrictions mean that this won’t happen and certificates will be handed out individually.
- We usually have a large Christmas Event where we invite the whole community along – on the same date that the Christmas Lights are turned on in New Haw. We provide mince pies and mulled wine for everyone and have carol singing in the Library. Details are still being sorted. Again it is not clear yet whether this will happen this year.
- In the past we have also run quizzes with a fish and chip supper.
- We run Rhyme Time and Story Time
- The Library Friends also hold a number of excellent events including Story Time for Adults and a Poetry Appreciation Group
- So please help us with our post Covid recovery – bring along your energy and enthusiasm and make new friends. We would love to see you.
If you are interested, please either call in at the library and give us your contact details or contact me to have a chat about how you would like to help. Think about coming along to help us – you will find a very friendly team and everyone is welcome.
If you are not yet a member of Surrey Libraries, then bring along proof of residency in Surrey and one of our volunteers will help you.
Carol Deakins, Chairman
New Haw Library Community Partnership
Telephone: 07857 151740