Coventry’s Central Library has celebrated its 40th anniversary, marking four decades of learning, reading and community in the former Locarno building.
Central Library first opened its doors on Smithford Way on 10 February 1986, converting the former Locarno ballroom building from a dance hall into Central Library. Within 15 minutes of its opening, over 100 people were browsing the shelves, which contained 125,000 books and a host of records and cassette tapes.
To mark its 40th anniversary, a special celebration event was hosted in Central Library on Saturday 7 February, where visitors enjoyed poetry readings, a silent disco, a Moving Space Co-Contemporary dance performance, a storytime with Lady Godiva, performances by a Ukrainian choir and more.
Councillor Dr Kindy Sandhu, Cabinet Member for Education and Skills, said: “It is incredible to mark 40 years of Central Library and the vital role it has in our city, bringing people together to learn, read and grow.
“Although it has changed over the years, it has remained an important part of the city centre and part of people’s lives, ensuring that all residents have a space where they can pick up a book, use a computer or even do things like learn different languages.
“It is even more special that we celebrate Central Library during this year, the National Year of Reading, which is all about encouraging people to read more in their daily lives, so it feels especially important that we celebrate the wonderful libraries we have here in Coventry as part of that.”
The National Year of Reading is a campaign designed by the Department for Education and the National Literacy Trust, designed to help more people to (re)discover the joy of reading and make it part of their everyday lives.
Find out more about Central Library or information about all libraries in the city.