In this special “five minutes with…” interview, we caught up with Hattie Edwards, Library Manager for Stalybridge Library, and Librarian James Avison, who filled us in on their interesting and varied roles within these historical community buildings.

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We found out about their day to day activities, as well as their feelings on Stalybridge being awarded Town of Culture status for 2022…

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Tell us about your roles

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Hattie

I am the library manager for Stalybridge library, along with Mossley and Dukinfield libraries. We are a public library so we are open to all members of the public, and alongside traditional library tasks, we are also an access point for many council services such as paying council tax, reporting damaged street lights etc. Our staff are really supportive and friendly, and we have a lot of regular customers who know they can always rely on libraries for direct help or to signpost them in whichever direction they need.

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James

Stalybridge Library is in the very heart of the town providing books, PC access, running events and regular clubs such as our Wednesday afternoon Readers Group as well as other council services. We are staffed four days a week but the library can be accessed for PC and printing as well as borrowing from Monday to Saturday. We are also home to the Astley Cheetham Art Gallery which is located on the first floor and hosts a great programme of exhibitions.

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How do you feel about Stalybridge being this year’s GM Town of Culture?

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Hattie

I think it’s really exciting. It’s lovely to see the town become even livelier through the opportunities this brings, and I’ve learnt things about Stalybridge’s history that I wasn’t even aware of. It’s also exciting that it gives the library access to funding for events that we can use to engage with children, encouraging them to use the library and access the amazing range of stock we hold!

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James

I think it is a wonderful opportunity for the town to show off its cultural skills. There are a lot of very talented people and creative businesses in the town that will hopefully be able to showcase their abilities and work to the benefit of the wider community. The opportunities it has opened up for the library will really help us continue to develop our position as a community and cultural focus point in the town and offer more exciting cultural events.

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How does the town’s heritage and culture reflect within your roles at the library?

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Hattie

In a physical sense, the library is an important piece of heritage itself as the building dates back to 1901. Many of the building’s original features remain in place today. Stalybridge has a really nice community feel to it, and I think that is reflected in the customers we get in the library and in the events we host to appeal to a wide audience. For example, the Local Studies Archive has been using the library to host their History Club talks, we have recently had a local writer using the library to host a writing workshop, and we have just completed the Summer Reading Challenge which involved  lots of activities for school children over the holidays.

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James

The presence and historical features of the library building are one of my favourite things about it. Whilst we do have modern facilities  - such as PC access - the library has kept many of its historical architectural features since it was built. I feel this makes it quite an exciting and inspiring place to come - particularly for children discovering libraries for the first time. We also have a dedicated Local History section within the library collection containing titles on Stalybridge throughout the ages and going wider afield within Tameside.

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What is your favourite thing about your job?

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Hattie

Probably when you see the appreciation our customers have for the library service, such as when a young child joins and is thrilled to hold their very first library card, or when a customer in their seventies talks about how they’ve been using the library since they were a child themselves. Libraries have been through a lot of changes over the years, but we’re still here and still providing a really important service to the people of Tameside. face

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James

Much of my role involves developing the events programme and hosting events within the library. My favourite part of my role is seeing the impact these events have on the participants. Whether it be putting on a talk for adults or welcoming a school class for a visit, having the community come together for a positive experience in the library and the benefit they get from it is always worthwhile.

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‍Stalybridge Library is located on Trinity Street, Stalybridge, SK15 2BN. Find out more about the programme of events at https://www.intameside.co.uk/things-to-do/tameside-libraries

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