Library Survey: Residents' Preferences
Piles of books coming to Darwin Green!
Photo by Engin Akyurt from Pexels: https://www.pexels.com/photo/books-in-shelf-2946979/
Today 15 June is the third Monday of the month, and the mobile library bus should visit the Plaza in Darwin Green. But within six months, the development will hopefully have its own library, at last! This was one of the main highlights from last week’s community forum: the Darwin Green library should open at the end of the year, and before Easter 2027 at the latest.
During that meeting, Andrew Stoter, from the Library Support Services at Cambridgeshire County Council, explained that the core offer for the library will include:
- a book stock of 5,000 to 6,000 books
- free Wi-Fi
- study space
- static PCs, with printing and scanning services
- staffed hours and extended unstaffed opening via the Open+ scheme (access beyond staffed hours, on evenings or weekends – approximately 60 hours per week in total; restricted to adults aged 16+ who register and sign in)
- interview rooms for engagement with the Council and other services (councillors, social workers, NHS, etc.)
The lease is expected to be signed in August 2026, and procurement should happen in September. But what sort of books should be in the library? And at what times should it open? To answer these questions, Andrew has been asking for community feedback. He opened a survey to collect residents' preferences about the following topics:
- opening hours
- space allocation
- book stock priorities
- activities
- volunteering
So please, take the survey for the library to tell what you’d prefer!
The objective is to have people express what they would like to have an use, rather than what they think the library should have. You don’t have to live in Darwin Green to complete the survey, but it helps if you do intend to use the library.
The survey remains open until 11 July, but don’t wait until the last minute. The Library Support Services rely on you!