New chapter for library

Mayor James Gartside cuts the ribbon to officially open the new library assisted by Mayoress Jane Gartside and Councillor Peter Williams

A new chapter was started in Rochdale this weekend with the official launch of the town’s new library on Saturday.

The Mayor, Councillor James Gartside, opened the new library and said it is an asset for the whole community: “It has been excellent to see so many people here today, it really is an impressive place and the feedback we’ve had from customers has been overwhelmingly positive.”

Free activities and talks were held throughout the day, which attracted hundreds of local residents. Television and radio poet Craig Bradley, North West Crime Writer Nick Oldham, and children’s author Tommy Donbavand, fresh from penning the latest Doctor Who title ‘Shroud of Sorrow’ were popular draws.

During the afternoon, Ryan Thomas, who plays builder Jason Grimshaw in Coronation Street, opened the new ‘Bean’ Coffee Shop. The popular actor drew the crowds and spent over an hour signing autographs and posing for photographs with fans.

On the ground floor of the Number One Riverside, the library features an extensive range of books, including large-print and audio formats, a children’s library, reading area, newspapers and magazines, plus computers with free internet access.