Residents of Keynsham are invited to step into the past, present and future of Keynsham Library at an event to celebrate the evolution of the service since it opened in 1941.
The event will take place on Friday, October 25, from 3pm to 6pm at Keynsham Community Space, and will also celebrate the library’s ten year anniversary of its current building.
This will be the culmination of a two-week programme of events which have included history talks, community groups and children’s crafts.
The drop in celebration and exhibition in cooperation with Keynsham and Saltford local history society is part of Bath and North East Somerset Council’s year-long celebrations for 100 years of free public library services within the area.
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It will also be a chance for local residents to meet with organisations who work closely with the library, including Age UK, Dial a Ride, Citizen’s Advice and Future Bright.
B&NES held their first centenary library celebrations back in April, where they highlighted Midsomer Norton library, which was itself celebrating its 40 year anniversary.
Among other activities, they have also celebrated 100 years of Bath’s central library with a gala, and copies of the original 1926 version of Winnie the Pooh were given to newborn babies.
Keynsham Library opened on July 4, 1941, at the Old Liberal Club on Bath Hill, when the town was still under the area covered by Somerset County Council. During the 1950’s it became the busiest library in all of Somerset, and in 1965 moved into Temple Street.
The building would go on to be demolished in 2011 to make way for the council’s new Civic Centre, Library and Community Space. The building was completed in October 2014, and this site became the library’s new home.
Keynsham Library now provides a range of services from books to study spaces, computers, council services and refreshments. In 2023/24, the library was accessed by 86,000 people, with that number continuing to grow.
Councillor Tim Ball, cabinet member for Neighbourhood Services, said: “Libraries are the heart of our communities and are special places where everyone is welcome to explore, connect and grow together. They also provide access to vital services and support people’s health and wellbeing.
“Keynsham Library and Information Service’s 10-year anniversary is a chance to celebrate everything it offers and go down memory lane, right back to its roots in 1941.”