Wood Green library one of the top 10 busiest in England
Tuesday 15 January 2008
Haringey's Wood Green library is officially one of the busiest in England, according to new figures.
The library attracted more than 783,500 visits last year - more than 65,000 a month - making it the ninth busiest library overall in England.
The figures are revealed in the annual survey of public libraries conducted by the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy.
"These are fantastic figures which show that Wood Green library is at the heart of our community," said Council Leader Cllr George Meehan.
"Our staff have worked hard to expand what we offer and ensure that our libraries are responsive to the needs of all our communities.
"We also provide a value for money service, comparing well with the costs of library services in neighbouring boroughs."
The library offers a huge variety of services and facilities. The large book, cd and DVD collection includes material in many different languages, and community language newspapers are particularly popular.
There are 62 PCs, free wi-fi access and a quiet study area with 80 places. As well as the popular children's library there is a new teen library area, managed by Bernadette Brewster, recently voted one of the top ten new librarians in the country, and the Business Lounge running training and networking events for local firms.
Learning opportunities range from computer training, yoga and aromatherapy to accounting and Spanish for holidaymakers. There are regular healthy living sessions, exhibitions, craft events, talks and film nights.
|Back to topAbout Wood Green library
We offer a variety of services and facilities for users.
There is an excellent collection of books, CDs and DVDs: with more than 200 languages are spoken in the borough, the collection reflects the diversity of the community. Community language newspapers are particularly popular, and at times the library resembles a Mediterranean café.
Our Internet facilities are extremely popular, with 62 PCs available and also wireless connection for customers with their own laptop computers and Personal Digital Assistants (PDA). We have installed Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) to enable users to issue books and other library materials for themselves.
The children’s library was designed to put the ‘wood’ back into Wood Green. It has a five-bar gate, which opens onto a cobble path leading to the grass area. The staff are located in the pond with the frogs!
Just upstairs on the 2nd floor is the Teen Library for ages thirteen to nineteen. It opened in 2006 and is called simply 1319. Inspired by the iPod and its streamlined design, this is a space with a difference created to inspire, excite and educate older children and young adults to achieve, develop and interact in a new and innovative way.
With an abundance of events, from screen printing workshops to web design tutorials, the library is overflowing with teenagers eager to use the resources on offer. Whether you are looking for the latest design book, periodical or software our skilled staff are always ready to help and advise. Together with ‘The Junction’ – an advice centre for teenagers - just next door – 1319 Wood Green is an exciting, vibrant space for Haringey’s young people.
For those who wish to work quietly, the Silent Study area provides a good working space for 80 users. You can also undertake guided learning in the Library: First Byte sessions are run weekly, to help anyone, of any age, understand computers and learn to use them with confidence. Others courses on offer range from Aromatherapy to Yoga; from Sage Accounting to Spanish-for-Holidaymakers.
There are lots of small businesses in Haringey, and The Business Lounge provides an airport-lounge facility, funded with European money, for local business people. This designated area encourages opportunities for networking and meeting clients, as well as providing access to high quality information sources.
To visibly include the Arts there is a hanging system funded by the Arts Council, allowing the library to showcase works by Haringey artists. The Art Brought to Book programme has included exhibitions, craft events, talks and film nights.
The library is open 8.45am to 7pm Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm Saturday and noon to 4pm Sunday.
- Visit our Wood Green library page to find out more.
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