Gallery: Hundreds at reopening of Deepings Library

The voluntary Friends of Deepings Library Group held an open day on Saturday (January 30) to show off the new and improved library in High Street, Market Deeping.

The group has taken over the running of the library after Lincolnshire County Council withdrew its funding. The council has spent about £175,000 refurbishing the building, and people were able to see what was new at the open day.

Chairman of the Friends group Liz Waterland was delighted to see so many visitors. She said: “It was just a wonderful day. We never expected that many people.

“To get more than 1,000 is just amazing, and showed the pleasure and the relief that the community felt to have a static library - their own library - back.”

The library was offiially reopened by TV historian Dr Jonathan Foyle, who grew up in the Deepings. Local authors Ellie Sandall and Andrew Cope also stopped by, as did Deepings MP John Hayes (Con) who was part of the campaign to save the library, and members of the Wade family who used to live in the building.

Liz said: “It has been a real up and down rollercoaster. There were two or three times when we thought that was it, we had come to the end of the road.

“But we kept going. Now we are fairly certain we have a sustinable project going.”

The library now has a paid co-ordinator, Louisa Crowson, whose role is funded partly from renting office space above the library out, partly from a precept increase by both Deeping St James Parish Council and Market Deeping Town Council, and partly from a private donation specifically for staff.