The Super Mobile Library In Hunmanby Village

For 8 years the Super Mobile Library, which replaced Hunmanby Library was located at the rear of The White Swan Public House. The Public House provided the space at no charge, and gave support to the Library staff, which continues to do to this day. At the time it was the only site that could be found in the village for the large vehicle.

Though the location was far from ideal it was better than no library. At the rear of the White Swan, the Super Mobile Library was hidden away, it looked like a parked mobile home and was on a slope. For those who used rollators or were unsteady it was like being at sea. If you sat down to use the computer your chair ‘flowed’ down the bus. (This resulted in the computer never being used.) The Super Mobile was doing a round trip from Northallerton (120 miles) to serve an average of just 8 people per visit! There was nothing to publicise it was there. In the Spring of 2019 a series of breakdowns and non availability had left the few remaining regular elderly users fearful the service may disappear all together.

Through the Summer of 2019, through the efforts of Hunmanby Parish Council Clerk, agreement was reach with North Yorkshire County Council Highways that it may be feasible to use the layby outside Bayley Gardens, if the Super Mobile Library would not obstruct the, ‘keep clear’ sign. These are there to ensure access to neighbouring homes. Further that there was broad agreement with other users, namely All Saints Church as the layby is used for Weddings & Funerals.

All Saints Church have been very supportive of the moving to a more central, visible location. The Church have put considerable effort into developing Spring Café as a Community run inclusive café, supporting more vulnerable people and the elderly. The venue is welcoming, warm and dementia friendly. The Church also were happy to promote the accessible toilet facilities available to compliment the library. The Mobile Library in this location would complement the café and visa versa. Using the layby between 9.30am and 12 noon would rarely impact on a wedding ceremony, and funerals do not take place on a Saturday morning.    If an early wedding is required, the White Swan have kindly offered use of their car park as an alternative.

North Yorkshire County Council Library Service having used the rear of the White Swan for 8 years, wished to see community support for the move, and support from Hunmanby Parish Council prior to deciding.

This is where the village community, both traders and local residents came together. First was approaching residential properties near Bayley Gardens, before going any further. All were supportive of the new location. Then, two petitions were raised, the first signed by all the village traders, and a separate one compiled by the Spring Café, numbering over 50 people.

Hunmanby Parish Council at their by-monthly Parish Council Meeting unanimously agreed to the move, along with support from both our local Scarborough Borough Councillors and our County Councillor.  The community group of volunteers who look after Bayley Gardens were very excited if the relocation could take place as it would be a great way to bring people into this beautiful open space and appreciate this asset to the village.

To support the move, village volunteers, offered to put out traffic cones on a Friday evening to aim to keep the layby clear of parked cars for a Mobile Library arrival just before 10am on alternate Saturdays. An open air meeting was held in Bayley Gardens with the General Manager of the North Yorkshire Library Service who was impressed with level of Community Support at the meeting came from members of the Parish Council, our Borough and County Councillors and local traders. she agreed the move could take place, initially as a trial.

The White Swan, kindly offered the car park space in their private car park if this was ever needed. With a lead in time of 6 weeks to the first move to the new location, North Yorkshire County Council supplied, flyers,  road cones, a trolley to move them, (they are not as light as people think, designed not to be blown over!)   Posters to display on them to explain why the layby is coned off and a nice banner to attach to Bayley Gardens fence at the start of each week the mobile library was due to visit. Volunteers designed posters to put up in local shops along with the flyers, Hunmanby Junior School helped to promote the re-launch by notifying families with children at the village school.

So far cars parking in the lay-by has been resolved prior to the Super Mobile arriving. Andy and his family at the White Swan are very supportive often going out to move the cones into their correct position at 1am on Saturday morning! (They are left at the curb side if a car is already parked late on Friday night) The General Manager of North Yorkshire Library service, expected to see some increase in use to justify the effort put in. A reasonable increase in use was set at 50%. This gave a target to build library use up from 8 people per visit to 12.  It was now up to Hunmanby to see what it could do! The first three months average use has risen dramatically over 300% to 35 people per visit of the Super Mobile Library, Hunmanby Super Mobile Library is now top of the ‘leader board’ as best used mobile in the county of North Yorkshire up from 17th out of 20. The Super Mobile now is often double staffed as it is that busy. The trial worked and the venue is permanent.

In Late March 2020, this nice article was written in the Scarborough Review