Jesmond Library is a

public library A public library is a library, most often a lending library, that is accessible by the general public and is usually funded from public sources, such as taxes. It is operated by librarians and library paraprofessionals, who are also Civil servic ...

Jesmond Jesmond ( ) is a suburb of Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear, England, situated north of the city centre and to the east of the Town Moor. Jesmond is considered to be one of the most affluent suburbs of Newcastle upon Tyne, with higher aver ...

Newcastle upon Tyne Newcastle upon Tyne, or simply Newcastle ( , Received Pronunciation, RP: ), is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city and metropolitan borough in Tyne and Wear, England. It is England's northernmost metropolitan borough, located o ...

, England, built in 1963. It is a Grade II

listed building In the United Kingdom, a listed building is a structure of particular architectural or historic interest deserving of special protection. Such buildings are placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, Hi ...

. Since 2013 it has been run by Friends of Jesmond Library, a group of local volunteers.

Description

The building, designed by Harry Faulkner Brown of Williamson, Faulkner, Brown and Partners, was erected in 1962–63. It was awarded the

RIBA ''Riba'' (, or , ) is an Arabic word used in Islamic law and roughly translated as " usury": unjust, exploitative gains made in trade or business. ''Riba'' is mentioned and condemned in several different verses in the Qur'an3:130

Bronze Medal in 1965. Situated on a corner site, the lending area, connected to a two-storey administrative block, is a small circular building with a steel frame painted black, windows above precast panels of pink granite aggregate, and a flat roof. The external windows and panels have a sawtooth arrangement.

Closure and re-opening

After a budget review,

Newcastle City Council Newcastle City Council is the local authority for the city of Newcastle upon Tyne in the ceremonial county of Tyne and Wear in North East England. Newcastle has had a council from medieval times, which has been reformed on numerous occasions. ...

decided to reduce the number of libraries in the city, and announced in March 2013 that Jesmond Library would be closed. Subsequently, a group of local residents formed Friends of Jesmond Library, to oppose the closure, and with a contingency plan for volunteers to run the library. The library closed on 29 July 2013, and was re-opened by Friends of Jesmond Library, a limited company and a registered charity, on 21 September 2013."About us"
Jesmond Library. Retrieved 12 March 2023.Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport (5 September 2017)
"Case study. Community managed libraries: Jesmond library, Newcastle, North East"
GOV.UK. Retrieved 12 March 2023. The Council remains the owner of the building, and a 20-year lease with the council was signed on 1 July 2016. The number of library volunteers in 2017 was about 90. At the suggestion of local residents, the library is also a

community hub A community centre, community center, or community hall is a public location where members of a community gather for group activities, social support, public information, and other purposes. They may be open for the whole community or for a sp ...

References

External links

* {{Authority control Grade II listed library buildings Grade II listed buildings in Tyne and Wear Public libraries in Tyne and Wear Library buildings completed in 1963 Buildings and structures in Newcastle upon Tyne