50 year-olds invited to cheer library’s half-century

Fifty year-old residents are being offered cheap or free library loans of audio-visual material to celebrate the half-centenary of Moulsecoomb Library, Brighton.

The current library will be 50 years old on Thursday March 13.

The offer is open to anyone who is currently 50, or to anyone once they become 50 – as long as it happens in 2014.

To take advantage residents must come to Moulsecoomb Library to collect a free quarterly audio-visual subscription card, normally costing £10. They must bring proof of residency, date of birth and photo id.

With a subscription card customers can have up to eight audio-visual items at a time.  Reservations for audio/visual items are free – they normally cost 50p.

Audio books are free instead of £1.50 or 80p

DVDs are half price. Some DVDs are usually £3.00 for a week’s hire or £1.50 depending on the age of the item.

Recorded language courses are also free with a card, instead of £2.

Library staff will explain all the benefits of the card at the time of joining.

There will be lots of other activities to celebrate the library’s 50th birthday.  The highlight is a birthday party on Saturday March 15 starting from 10.30am.  A specially-commissioned birthday cake will be cut.  There will be fun arts and crafts activities for children.  A display will recall 1964 events and another will celebrate 50 years at the library. Free tea and coffee will be available from 10am to 3.30pm.  The library shuts for lunch between 1pm-2pm.

WiFi will be installed from Tuesday March 11th. This will enable anyone to use their own IT devices in the library free of charge.

For more information please call Moulsecoomb Library on 296910 or visit the website http://www.brighton-hove-rpml.org.uk/Libraries/Pages/home.aspx

Councillor in charge of libraries Geoffrey Bowden said:  “The offer and the event celebrate the enduring importance of libraries and the way they are changing to meet the needs of modern users.”