Darlington Library on Crown Street is undergoing a refurbishment and is set to reopen next year with a refreshed space and an exciting activity offer.
While the building is temporarily closed to allow the work to progress, an alternative town centre location for customers to borrow and return books has been found.
From Tuesday, September 20, customers will be able to visit the Dolphin Centre on Horse Market at various times during the week to select and collect books, join the library, and learn about services on offer.
Cockerton Library remains open for adults and children to browse the bookshelves and to access computers and study space.
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Outside of regular opening hours the popular Bookstart Rhymetime sessions will be available to book and there will be regular Centre for Local Studies Takeover afternoons where customers can access the collection and speak to team.
Cockerton Library also holds weekly arts and crafts sessions for children after school, and a monthly Rock of Ages group for older adults to take a trip down memory lane and listen to music from days gone by over a cuppa.
The new watercolour group will be starting soon where novice art enthusiasts can meet and have a go at something new.
Darlington residents aged 60+ are also eligible for the free Home Delivery Service, where the team chooses books based on your interests, and with assistance from Darlington Support, these are delivered monthly.
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The online library is always open, and the Borrowbox and Libby Apps have a wide range of eBooks and Audiobooks to choose from which you can download free on to your device.
The Darlington Libraries App allows customer to search the whole of our catalogue and select and order books to be collected from either our branch library or our temporary select and collect pick up point at the Dolphin Centre.
Suzy Hill, library manager, said: “We are extremely grateful to our colleagues at the Dolphin Centre for helping us to maintain a town centre offer while our building is being restored and refurbished.
“By temporarily offering a presence at the Dolphin Centre, we hope we can help our regular customers to borrow their books and it provides an opportunity for customers of the leisure centre to speak to us, join the library and start borrowing too.
“Before long we will be able to welcome people back to our beautiful Victorian library and showcase all our exciting library offers.”
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Current opening times
Dolphin Centre select and collect point:
Monday: 10am – noon and 3 – 6pm
Tuesday: 3 – 6pm
Wednesday: 10am – 1pm
Thursday: 3pm – 6pm
Friday: 10am – 1pm
Saturday: Noon – 3pm
Cockerton Library:
Monday: 9am – 2pm
Tuesday: 2 – 7pm
Wednesday: 9am – 1pm
Thursday: 2 – 7pm
Friday: 9am – 2pm
Saturday: 9am – 1pm
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