Bentilee Library has reopened in a more prominent position within Bentilee Neighbourhood Centre as councillors hope pledge to keep the service going.

They hope the new location, within the building's atrium, will make it more appealing to families and make reading more accessible for young and old alike.

The section of the building where the library used to be housed will now be used for the city's Homelink library service which used to operate from Hanley.

Ward councillor and cabinet member for children's services, Cllr Lynn Watkins believes the library's old location discouraged some people from visiting, and feels having it in a more prominent position will mean more people use the facility.

She said: "It is more compact, but all the services are still here – they're still going to do the digital services on a Tuesday and the Singing Bears, Bouncing Bears and Lego Club.

Amy Capewell and Cllr Lynn Watkins (LDRS).

"[The library] is very important. There's always people in here – whenever I'm up in Bentilee and I'm walking through the neighbourhood centre there's lots of people walking through.

"Access to it is very important, and as one of the city's six libraries, Cllr Sarah-Jane Colcough and I are determined it stays.

"I'm hoping children will drag their mums, dads, nanas and grandads into the library because it's such an exciting place to visit."

Amy Capewell, senior librarian for the city's libraries said a number of services offered by libraries team are moving as part of a shake up across the city.

She said: "We're really excited about the new location for Bentilee Library. The old library was down a corridor and it was a little bit inaccessible.

"Here in our new location we are right in the main atrium. We are accessible via the main entrance, very easily, and easily accessible via parking.

"Hopefully this will make it easier for people to come in and see the massive range of services that libraries have to offer – be that physical book loaning or activities for children and families or our digital and online services.

The new library will offer the same services, including Bouncing Bears and Lego Club (Nub News).

Amy also confirmed the new library will offer the same range of services as the old one.

She said: "You'll still find all our early years activities – be that Bouncing Bears on a Tuesday morning of Singing Bears on a Friday morning, our Lego Clubs, and our story and craft sessions.

"We'll also run special activities throughout school holidays, so very little has changed.

"We've got all of our adult books here, adult fiction, children's fiction, children's non-fiction – everything is here and still accessible.

"You'll also find the same familiar friendly faces of library staff here. They've moved up the corridor with is as well.

"The old space where the library was won't lie empty, we're going to use that for other library services.

"City Centre Library in Hanley is currently undergoing a move into the Smithfield building – some of the background services that operated from the building will now move here to Bentilee Neighbourhood Centre.

"Things like our Homelink service – which delivers books to people's houses if people can't get out and about very easily, a free service – will actually operate from this building now as opposed to Hanley."

She said the new library was already bustling – with families visiting to check out the new facilities and complete their summer reading challenges.

Amy said: "This year the theme of our summer reading challenge is 'Ready, Set, Read' and it's all about sports and games and incorporating that to get children active and carrying own reading.

"The summer reading challenge is really important because research has shown there's usually a dip in reading levels over the summer.

"By the time children go back to school in September they're operating at a lower literacy level, so the summer reading challenge aims to counteract that and keep them reading."

The challenge involves children visiting their local library three times over the summer and reading a minimum of six books.

There is also a range of free activities for families to enjoy alongside the reading challenge, and this is also themed around sports and games.

The new Bentilee Library will operate the same opening hours and activities as before.

Opening hours:

• Monday: 10am-2pm
• Tuesday: 9am-12.30pm and 1.30pm-5pm
• Wednesday: closed
• Thursday: closed
• Friday: 9am-12.30pm and 1.30pm-5pm
• Saturday: (alternate weeks) 10am-2pm
• Sunday: closed

Free activities:

• Bouncing Bears: every Tuesday (10.30-11.15am)
• Lego Club: every Tuesday (3.30-4.30pm)
• Singing Bears: every Friday (10-10.30am and 11-11.30am)

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