Aberchirder Library set to move to a new home

Aberchirder Library will close its doors for good and could be sold off after the building was deemed ‘surplus to requirements’ by Aberdeenshire Council.

Currently the facility, located at 111 Main Street, is only open for five hours a week.

But library services will not be scrapped in the village altogether and will instead be moved to nearby Aberchirder Primary School.

In the local authority’s revenue budget agreed last March, Live Life Aberdeenshire agreed to make savings of £210,000 in the libraries and museums service.

One of the ways to save cash included reducing the number of library buildings operated by the council.

Council officers say that adding the facility to the school could provide wider public access to other Live Life Aberdeenshire services.

Meanwhile the move could see additional activities introduced to the village including Bookbug sessions, exercise classes and knit and knatter meetings.

The local authority has already spoken to library and school staff as well as members of the local community about the changes.

Once the move is complete, the existing library building could be sold or made available to local groups through a community asset transfer.

The matter was discussed by the Banff and Buchan area committee on Tuesday.

Operations Manager for Live Life Aberdeenshire, Tim Stephen, told members that they would like to move the service “as soon as possible”.

And he revealed that the new library could be operating by the start of February next year.

There would be no change to the existing operating hours and the new library would have its own dedicated entrance meaning visitors will not need to enter the school.

Mr Stephen also assured the committee that no jobs would be lost as staff would move from the current site to the school.

He even went on to say that extra posts could be created due to new Live Life Aberdeenshire services at the new community hub.

But councillor John Cox said he was worried about declaring the building surplus because he believed the council would need to evaluate the success of the move first.

He also asked that a report come back on the development of activities in Aberchirder and suggested community engagement be carried out on any future plans.

Mr Cox said: “We need to ensure that we don’t dispose of something that could be a good community asset.”

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