Greater participation
The opening of the first Idea Store in Bow delivered impressive results in a short space of time, with visits up by 300 per cent, stock issues by 35 per cent and course enrolments up by 100 per cent. In four years, the Idea Stores saw visitor numbers increase from 1.1 million a year to 2 million a year. Idea Store Whitechapel is now the most popular library building in central London, with nearly 700,000 visits a year.
Ian McNicol, Head of Idea Stores, said: “The Idea Stores are designed to appeal to all ages and offer something for everyone. They have quickly become an integral part of their neighbourhoods and transformed the way local people use library and learning services.”
Learning services cater to people of all ages
A focus for community activity
By building the Idea Stores in central community locations, they attract passers-by as well as regular visitors. Idea Store Whitechapel, for example, is next to Sainsbury’s supermarket amongst Whitechapel Road’s bustling shops and market stalls. Local resident Jocelia Nylander said: “It is not like any traditional library. The building really stands out and is inviting.”
The cafe at Idea Store Bow
Many people regularly visit their local Idea Store and make use of several services. “I visit the library twice a week since it opened – I do my shopping and then come here for a break. My children use the computers and we sit in a corner and read,” said community member Shahia Khan. “I particularly admire the language facility – Bengali is my mother tongue and I want my children to be able to speak it too. There are classes held here for my children to learn. I have even made enquiries for my mother-in-law to attend an English class which I read about here.”
Topics associated with this project
Cohesion, Education, London, Private sector