Libraries in Cardiff
Increases in visits, active borrowers and library members took place during 18/19 as the service continued to grow in popularity with Cardiff's citizens.
The latest building to serve as Central Library opened in 2009 as part of a major reconstruction of the eastern city centre, including the St. David's 2 project.
In 1861, a free library was set up by voluntary subscription above the St Mary Street entrance to the Royal Arcade in Cardiff.
[3] Two years later in 1864, the library had moved to bigger premises in the now demolished YMCA building, in St Mary Street.
The building was officially opened on 3 December 1988,[10] and occupied the upper storeys of the commercial complex, which were accessed via a polygonal vestibule at street level.
[12] During the construction of the new building, library services were moved to temporary facilities on John Street which were officially opened on 1 September 2006.
[12] Consisting of two separate buildings adjoining the Welsh National Opera, the front, overlooking Bute Street featured 6 metres (20 ft) tall hoardings illustrating the spines of a number of books identified as those most commonly borrowed from the library.
Across Cardiff libraries, crime and romance are the most popular books, with James Patterson, Danielle Steel and Alexander McCall Smith among the most borrowed.
Cardiff-born Roald Dahl, Gruffalo author Julia Donaldson, Jacqueline Wilson, Terry Deary, creator of the Horrid History series, and Enid Blyton are among those most likely to be borrowed by children and young teenagers.
A range of accessible formats are also provided including large print, audio books, Braille and eBooks.
During 2018/19 an accessible navigation app was launched in collaboration with UCAN Go at Central Library Hub to aid those with visual impairments, mental health issues or dementia, to plan and take full advantage of the service available.
Staff have undertaken relevant training, e.g. dementia friends, British Sign Language and autism awareness.
Tablets are available at all hubs and libraries which facilitates access for deaf customers to a sign video app and enables direct communication to interpreters.
[18] The building was specifically designed to be energy-efficient, and includes a sedum grass roof to improve insulation and reduce rainwater run-off, coloured glass panels and solar shading to prevent excessive heat gains, and a full building management system to provide climate control to individual floors.
The library's facilities include a customer service centre for Cardiff County Council, meeting rooms, ITC and display suites, public computers and free Wi-Fi access.
The ground floor is primarily dedicated to helping with registering online for Transport For Wales concessionary bus passes, with a front desk where people can get access to information and recycling bags, collect reserved books and give them back.
[26] The work saw the western wing by Whitchurch Road brought back into use, the roof replaced and improvements made to the outside area.
Local Liberal Democrat councillors aimed to see a community room included as part of the plans for the building.
In May 2015 the pre-existing 1986 library (housed in a building designed by staff and students of the Welsh School of Architecture) was demolished.
[35] Grangetown Hub has been praised by the Welsh Assembly Heritage Minister for its wide variety of materials in the languages of the different ethnic groups living in the area.
It was closed from November 2007 until March 2008 for a £170,000 refurbishment which included upgrading the entrance lobby, fitting new flooring and replacing furniture and shelving.
[39] The library offers fiction, non-fiction, talking books for adults, and a separate section for children and teenagers.
It changed location from a shop front on Kimberley Terrace, which enabled it to open full time as well as offer other services.
The library offers most of the services of a full-time branch - fiction, non-fiction, large print and talking books for all ages.
The learning and information centre consists of a two storey steelwork wind frame designed to remove the need for bracing bays due to the extensive glazing to the elevations.
[49] It reopened on 25 April 2009 after being closed for several months in order to refurbish and renovate the building, which cost £2 million to complete and saw additions of Extreme Interactive bikes and touch sensitive dance mats.
Screens that are attached to bikes and set up in front of dance mats allow up to 15 people to participate in activities together.
The new bikes allow enthusiasts to virtually experience cycles through New York City, or engage in races with fellow cyclists.
The library holds events for adults including coffee mornings, readers' evenings and "Noson Goffi" for Welsh learners and speakers.
Rumney Library organises a weekly reading group, author visits, storytime for pre-school children and baby rhymetime sessions.
