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Wrexham Library

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Coordinates: 53°02′53″N 2°59′38″W / 53.048075°N 2.993892°W / 53.048075; -2.993892
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For the old carnegie library that served as Wrexham's library from 1907 to 1973, see Old Library, Wrexham.

Wrexham Library
Llyfrgell Wrecsam (Welsh)
The building's entrance in 2013
Map
Former namesWrexham Library and Arts Centre
General information
TypePublic library
Arts centre (Oriel Wrecsam; 1973–2015)
Police station (2019–)
Council office (2023–)
AddressRhosddu Road, Wrexham, Wales LL11 1AU
Coordinates53°02′53″N 2°59′38″W / 53.048075°N 2.993892°W / 53.048075; -2.993892
Construction startedJune 1971
OpenedDecember 1972
Cost£178,000 (1971)
Design and construction
Architect(s)James A Roberts
Main contractorRM Douglas Construction

Wrexham Library (Welsh: Llyfrgell Wrecsam) is the main public library of Wrexham, Wales. Located in the city centre, adjacent to Llwyn Isaf, it opened in 1972, superseding the old carnegie library on Queen's Square.

It is the most visited library in North Wales, receiving 100,000 in-person and digital visitors annually.

History

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By 1700, the site where the library now stands was partly occupied by a mansion house known as Ypsytty (or Ysbyty) Ucha (Welsh for 'Upper Hospital'), later known as Llwyn Isaf, which the nearby field retains its name, while the house itself previously served as the library of Wrexham temporarily.[1][2]

Construction of the purpose-built library building started in June 1971 and took one year and a half to construct. The construction cost £178,000 and was constructed by RM Douglas Construction. The architect of the building was James A Roberts.[3] The building, located on Rhosddu Road,[4] opened to the public in December 1972. It contained a music library, private study areas, and a children's library.[3][5][6][7] This building near Llwyn Isaf replaced the previous carnegie library building on Queens Square.[8] The building is of the Brutalist style.[9]

Oriel Wrecsam, a contemporary arts centre was based in the building attached to the library on Rhosddu Road since 1973[10] and until 2015, when it moved out of the adjacent building.[11] The extension was still being built when the library first opened.[3]

In 1983, the first public computers arrived in the library.[6]

In 2003, plans to construct a theatre on the site for Oriel Wrecsam and using £6 million of lottery funding was cancelled.[10]

Renovation

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In 2010, the library was renovated, using a grant of £310,000 awarded for the refurbishment from the Welsh Assembly Government. The renovation included a first floor extension, book and DVD stock enhancements, new computers and self-service check-out stations. The renovation also included a BFI Mediatheque being opened at the library, which contained a curated "Through the Dragon's Eye" collection, partly sourced from the National Screen and Sound Archive of Wales, which by 2013 was the only BFI Mediatheque in Wales.[12][13] During the renovation the library temporarily moved to Chester Street, although the coffee shop and art gallery remained open during the renovation.[14] The renovated library was reopened by Ruth Jones on 22 March 2010.[6][15][16]

In 2011, the BBC, who had some operations in the building announced they were vacating their part of the building, moving to purpose-built studios at Glyndwr University.[10]

Recent events

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In March 2015, Oriel Wrecsam announced they were to leave their premises in the library building for a then unknown location, set to open in 2017.[10] Oriel Wrecsam later announced they would open a shop named "Siop//Shop" on Chester Street on 22 April 2015 and close their existing gallery on 28 March, ending the long association between the gallery and library, and while Oriel Wrecsam was present in the building, both were termed the "Wrexham Library and Art Centre".[11][17] The gallery later became part of the Tŷ Pawb development.[18]

Plans were first made in 2014,[19] to relocate Wrexham town centre police station into the part of the building, that was formerly an Arts Centre (the former Oriel Wrecsam Gallery) following the demolition of the old Bodhyfryd police station and a new station in Llay.[20] In February 2016, the plans were approved.[21]

In July 2016, plans to transfer control of the library as well as Wrexham Museum to a culture trust or NPDO, were scrapped following a review that the transfer would cost the council more money.[22] The proposal was part of wider plans to outsource the council's Libraries, Heritage and Archives Services, in hope to generate more income.[23] The initial 2015 proposed transfer of responsibility involved a South Wales trust, but a local trust was later explored following opposition from councillors of transferring control to a trust in either Blaenau Gwent or Merthyr Tydfil.[23][24][25]

In May 2017, work commenced on the new police station in the connecting building where the Oriel Wrecsam gallery once stood. The gallery had moved to Tŷ Pawb.[26]

In April 2019, a minor refurbishment of the library's foyer was conducted.[27][28] A coffee shop in the building, "The Secret Garden", also opened for the renovation.[29]

On 24 May 2019, the Wrexham town police station opened in a part of the library building.[30][31]

In Winter 2022, during the United Kingdom cost-of-living crisis, the library would operate as a "warm space", for those unable to afford to heat their homes, and for financial advice and support.[32][33]

In March 2023, Contact Wrexham, the council's support centre providing in-person services, moved into the building from Lord Street and a temporary location in Wrexham Guildhall, following the expiring of the Lord Street building lease.[34][35][36]

From September to December 2023, the building's roof is to be replaced.[37]

Description

[edit]

The library is said to be the most visited library in North Wales, with over 100,000 in-person and digital visitors visiting the library each year. In 2022, it hosted 479 events that had at least 8,000 visitors.[37]

Installed in 2000, on one of its outside walls, there is a tile mural, the "Millennium Mural", containing imagery of the Acton Four Dogs, Gresford church stained glass, and example's of Wrexham's industrial architecture. Its installation involved over 1,000 children from eight Wrexham schools, working with artist Penny Hampson.[2]

References

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  1. ^ "Wrexham Town Walk : Llwyn Isaf". Wrexham County Borough Council. Archived from the original on 1 September 2012.
  2. ^ a b Ebsworth, David (2023). Wrexham Revealed: A Walking Tour with Tales of the City’s History. Compact Cymru. Wrexham Carnival of Words. Carreg Gwalch. ISBN 9781845245245.
  3. ^ a b c Emma (12 August 2022). "6 facts you didn't know about the Wrexham Library building - news.wrexham.gov.uk". Retrieved 7 April 2023.
  4. ^ "Your local library | Wrexham County Borough Council". www.wrexham.gov.uk. Retrieved 8 April 2023.
  5. ^ Emma (13 June 2022). "Wrexham Library is 50 years old! What are your memories? - news.wrexham.gov.uk". Retrieved 7 April 2023.
  6. ^ a b c "Wrexham Library to celebrate 50th birthday with a range of events". The Leader. 13 December 2022. Retrieved 7 April 2023.
  7. ^ "What are your memories of Wrexham Library? Special exhibition planned to celebrate its 50th birthday". Wrexham.com. Retrieved 7 April 2023.
  8. ^ "Share your memories of Wrexham Library, old or new". The Leader. 13 July 2022. Retrieved 7 April 2023.
  9. ^ Hatherley, Owen (7 April 2022). Modern Buildings in Britain: A Gazetteer. Penguin UK. ISBN 9780141998312. The more Brutalist library next door
  10. ^ a b c d "Oriel Wrecsam: gallery leaves Rhosddu Road venue after 42 years". a-n The Artists Information Company. Retrieved 7 April 2023.
  11. ^ a b "Oriel Wrecsam is moving". This Project. 11 March 2015. Retrieved 8 April 2023.
  12. ^ Wales, Llyfrgell Genedlaethol Cymru / National Library of (23 March 2010). "Wrexham Mediatheque". National Library of Wales Blog. Retrieved 7 April 2023.
  13. ^ "Wrexham Library Round-Up". Wrexham.com. Retrieved 7 April 2023.
  14. ^ Live, North Wales (28 October 2009). "Wrexham cafe under threat if library moves". North Wales Live. Retrieved 7 April 2023.
  15. ^ Live, North Wales (15 February 2010). "Wrexham library set to go home". North Wales Live. Retrieved 7 April 2023.
  16. ^ Live, North Wales (23 March 2010). "Ruth Owen opens revamped Wrexham library". North Wales Live. Retrieved 7 April 2023.
  17. ^ "Wrexham Library & Arts Centre". www.digitalcommunities.gov.wales. Retrieved 8 April 2023.
  18. ^ Powney, Mark (6 July 2017). "Wrexham's Oriel Wrecsam People's Market Set to be Renamed Following a £4.5m Revamp". Business News Wales. Retrieved 8 April 2023.
  19. ^ "Wrexham Police Station In Potential Oriel Gallery Move". Wrexham.com. Retrieved 8 April 2023.
  20. ^ "First Look Inside Wrexham's New Town Centre Police Station". Wrexham.com. Retrieved 7 April 2023.
  21. ^ "Wrexham police station art gallery plans get go-ahead". BBC News. 1 February 2016. Retrieved 8 April 2023.
  22. ^ Porter, Gary (9 July 2016). "U-turn over plan for Wrexham's libraries to be run by a trust". North Wales Live. Retrieved 7 April 2023.
  23. ^ a b "'Wrexham Culture Trust' Plans Scrapped". Wrexham.com. Retrieved 7 April 2023.
  24. ^ "Wrexham Library Services To Be Transfered [sic] To South Wales Trust". Wrexham.com. Retrieved 7 April 2023.
  25. ^ "Calls To Create Local Trust For Wrexham Libraries". Wrexham.com. Retrieved 7 April 2023.
  26. ^ "Work to start on Wrexham Library police station". BBC News. 15 May 2017. Retrieved 8 April 2023.
  27. ^ "Spot anything different? Wrexham Library gets a new look". The Leader. 10 April 2019. Retrieved 7 April 2023.
  28. ^ "Wrexham's new police station set to open". The Leader. 23 May 2019. Retrieved 7 April 2023.
  29. ^ "New 'Secret Garden' cafe opens as part of Wrexham Library revamp". Wrexham.com. Retrieved 7 April 2023.
  30. ^ "This is when the new Wrexham town centre police station is set to open". The Leader. Retrieved 7 April 2023.
  31. ^ Stevens, Gill (9 April 2019). "New look for Wrexham library - news.wrexham.gov.uk". Retrieved 7 April 2023.
  32. ^ "Wrexham's libraries to be used as "warm spaces" for residents during the winter months". Wrexham.com. Retrieved 7 April 2023.
  33. ^ "Wrexham Council confirm 'warm places' coming to the city amid cost-of-living crisis". The Leader. Retrieved 7 April 2023.
  34. ^ Colville, Craig (6 December 2022). "Contact Wrexham is moving…but not too far - news.wrexham.gov.uk". Retrieved 7 April 2023.
  35. ^ "Ribbon cut as Contact Wrexham officially makes 'vibrant and welcoming' Library its new permanent home". Wrexham.com. Retrieved 7 April 2023.
  36. ^ "Contact Wrexham to move from Lord Street from next week". The Leader. 7 December 2022. Retrieved 7 April 2023.
  37. ^ a b "Work to start on installing new roof at Wrexham Library next month". The Leader. 27 August 2023. Retrieved 29 August 2023.
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