Built between 1973 and 1977, Abingdon library is part of The Charter, originally devised as the Broad Street North Redevelopment scheme, while Abingdon Borough was still in existence. (Abingdon’s local authorities all changed in 1974). The Charter, when finished, was run jointly by Oxfordshire County Council and the new Vale of White Horse District Council. It housed the library, medical centre, doctor’s surgery, social services, pensioners’ day centre, and a multi-storey car park.

The charter has dark red bricks, a variety of grey slate roofs , walkways on different levels, and plantings of trees and bushes.

The library also a view towards Poundland and Broad Street.

Another window has a view towards the decorative wall that holds The Charter foundation stone (1973) and the official opening stone (1977). The wall looks like part of an old castle, possibly a reminder of 1556  – the original Abingdon Borough Charter.

Libraries in Oxfordshire will re-open either on 13th July or 20th July. Abingdon Library will be among the first to re-open on the 13th.

There will be some changes to how the library will operate to make them Covid-safe:
* you may have to queue to enter
* social distancing measures will be in place
* they will collect your name and contact details on entry
* short visits will be encouraged – up to 30 minutes
* they will take card and online payments only (no cash)
* most soft seating and tables will be removed – so I suspect fewer computers
* newspapers and magazines will be removed
* face-to-face events won’t run until government advice allows.

Looking at the Oxfordshire Library Catalogue, I see my loans have been extended to the 3rd – 10th August. I could still do the Michael Thomas Italian course, but I probably won’t as the Italian holiday was cancelled.

The upper floor of the library also used to be a bit of a social centre – even a day centre at times. Here is an idle ten minutes from before the shutdown …

We all hear a phone ring and then after some low chatter I hear a voice from a soft chair promise, ‘I will call you back in a moment, Sue.’… A group round a local history computer murmur and the one word I can hear is ‘Oxfordshire.’… Bob F reads a 1970’s Abingdon Herald on microfilm… The librarian at the enquiry desk piles books, beeping each through… A young lady with a laptop twirls a plait of hair. With her pink coffee cup and sprawl of papers, she seems to be waiting for inspiration… I flick through the reference only copy of News from a Country Town … From July 1780 I read of a floral festival at the Crown and Thistle. It says, ‘Each person to prove on oath that his Blossoms are his own blowing.’… There’s a ‘rurr jurr’ and then a flapping as the microfilm winds back into its spool … The librarian wheels the books through ‘Staff Only’… Bob slings a bag over his shoulder, and says ‘Good Bye.’… The man in the low back chair is stretched out with a stick next to him. I am more worried about him calling Sue than he seems.

The children’s area of Abingdon Library will be closed from 10th-12th March 2015 for a revamp.

I have heard that Wally will no longer be so prominent,

and the fish tank is to be replaced with something smaller.

All shall be revealed by this time next week!

The children’s part of the library is doing very well with attendance well up on a year ago, whereas other libraries have seen a decline. So this revamp is very well deserved.

Abingdon Library was celebrating National Library Day with some special events today.

There was also a new display upstairs showing the library in days gone by. On the screen of the microfiche reader was the Abingdon Herald of Saturday 18th April 1896, the first edition since Abingdon Free Library was officially opened. An unnamed reporter described the scene …

“Fickle April was in its best mood, and the town wore a holiday aspect, when on Wednesday afternoon the Earl of Abingdon formally declared the Free Library and Reading-room open. The proceedings were timed to begin at 3 o’clock and long before that hour the Market-place and High-street were thronged with interested spectators awaiting the arrival of Lord Abingdon…. Several of the houses and the library itself were decorated with flags, and the chief display was made by Mr Bradley whose motto was “Success to the Abingdon Free Library.”

Lord Abingdon spoke from the balcony to the spectators below. He “ hailed with satisfaction the foresight and liberality of the Governors of Christ’s Hospital in placing at the disposition of the town such an institution.”

Parts of the Free Library are still recognisable. The ceiling of the back room of Smiths the Chemist now looks down on nappies and toiletries and not a library counter with the words “all junior books here.”

The library staff moved from the Free Library building to the Charter premises in 1976. One of the staff says “I remember the excitement of the staff exchanging cramped facilities, dark corridors, and Victorian plumbing for a huge new workplace with masses of new books, an expansive staff room and a LIFT!”