The first of seven new 'Idea Stores' in Tower Hamlets has ushered
in a new age for urban libraries and community learning in London.
Tower Hamlets residents and the council had
agreed that local library facilities left a great deal to
be desired, so in order to tackle the problem a new funding
partnership was set up involving the Government Office for
London's UK Online team as well as the New Opportunities Fund,
Department for Culture, Media and Sport and the council. The
big idea was to provide a high quality, modern library service
with a greater range of facilities.
The result was the Idea Store, which combines a library,
a learning centre and computer facilities with free Internet
access. The Idea Store offers a warm and inviting environment
featuring a bright colour scheme, comfy sofas and circular
snugs for young children and parents. Workstations are seamlessly
intermingled into the open plan space and moveable book units
make browsing easier.
The Idea Store also has a cafe, modern baby changing facilities
for mums and dads and a 'Sight and Sound' centre where you can borrow
a wide range of music, video and DVD releases, including blockbuster
smashes and Bollywood classics. The Idea Store is a hit with local
residents with 845 new members joining in its first 4 weeks and
loans going up by 65%. On average there are 25,000 visits per month
and an improved take up of courses.
In addition to traditional library services, the Idea Store also
offers over 900 'Lifelong Learning' courses to over 16s, enabling
them to learn a new skill or unleash that hidden talent.
"It's modern and friendly and you get talking to so many people because of
the layout", commented local resident Ms Worsley-Roberts,
adding "I'm going to do an Internet course and I'm going to
bring all my friends here. Honestly, I'm just amazed by it".
UK Online is a government initiative helping every person
in Britain to make the most of the Internet, in both their
business and private lives. In November Tony Blair announced
that 6,000 UK online centres, including Idea Store, are now
open ahead of target.
Working in partnership with the New Opportunities Fund, the UK
Online team based at Government Office for London has now allocated
£38m to 167 projects across the capital, ranging from small
community groups to large charities and local authorities, with
over 350 centres now open in London.
Further Information
For more information on other UK Online projects in London please
contact Steve Mulloy,
telephone 020 7217 3323.
