It has been part of Strichen’s community for the past century, but there are worries that the Buchan village’s library may not have a future.
Last month, the Water Street building that the library is housed in celebrated its centenary by having an open day.
The village has had a library presence for over 150 years, with the Strichen Circulating Library being founded back in 1857.
Run by Live Life Aberdeenshire (LLA) – which runs libraries and culture services on behalf of Aberdeenshire Council – it is a “part-time” library and is only open three days a week.
The hours are 2pm-4pm on a Monday and 10am-12pm on a Friday and Saturday respectively.
Local resident Abiy Orr, 53 – who lost her husband Yetur at the end of May – is a regular user of the facility and says it has helped her since she lost her partner.
“I’ve been in virtually every session the library’s been open since then,” she said.
“It’s just a place you get sanity and people are glad to see you and you can just sit down and talk about anything.
“Strichen’s a great village and there’s an awful lot of community stuff going on, but the library’s the one place you can go for that kind of more confidential, more intimate conversation.”
‘The hub for introverts’
As well as having books, it also has computers, free wifi, printing, photocopying and scanning, and is part of VisitScotland’s iKnow Partner programme, providing local information on accommodation and activities around Strichen.
It also plays host to a number of a community groups, as Mrs Orr explains: “We call it ‘the hub for the introverts’. It’s the kind of place where we have all kinds of groups going on.
“There’s a book group, a class group and there’s a really popular memories group, where most of the older folk of the community come together.”
The library’s building has a long history and dates back to 1785, with it donated to the local community back in 1923 by local men Alexander Anderson and Thomas Woodman.
Despite this, Mrs Orr is worried that it will go the same way that Mintlaw’s did, which was demolished in September 2019.
It is now located in the Mintlaw and Central Buchan Initiative (Macbi), which opened in 2014.
Mrs Orr thinks the council may be planning to move it in to Strichen Town House, which is now looked after by the community and registered as a charity.
It is also in line to get a £500,000 extension, with a former toilet block being demolished for the project.
She said: “What the Aberdeenshire Council library department seems to be trying to do is reduce all their libraries and move them into other community buildings.”
However, Mrs Orr does not think this will work, adding: “I think the library will actually be a problem to them rather than a benefit.”
‘No facility is currently safe’
Central Buchan councillor Geoff Crowson does not think the library will move into Strichen Town House due to there being “no space to allow that to happen”.
He does not think the library is safe though, warning: “I think it’s clear from the actions of late of Live Life Aberdeenshire that no facility is currently safe from closure or a cutting of service provision.
Mr Crowson adds: “There has however been no intimation to councillors that LLA wish to close Strichen Library or intend consulting on any such proposal and I would not be supportive of any moves to remove library provision and all the outreach work that goes along with that.”
An spokesman for Aberdeenshire Council said: “Ongoing dialogue is taking place with the community to ensure a fit for purpose library provision in Strichen.
“There will be future meetings with the community and officers at the library.”