Charity coffee morning success for library centenary

Wokingham Library celebrated 100 years in style by welcoming the community for a successful charity coffee morning on Thursday 5 September.

Around 70 people attended the event and took the chance to learn more about the history of the library, as well as enjoying lots of delicious homemade cakes.

The celebration raised more than £150 for SHARE Wokingham, which redistributes food to those in need that would otherwise go to waste.

In attendance was the Borough Mayor Cllr Adrian Mather and the Wokingham town Mayor Cllr Rob Comber, along with staff and volunteers past and present.

In addition to all of the lovely treats on offer, staff and volunteers put together a display board with information about the history of Wokingham Library, which has had four homes in its history. The board featured facts about the top reads and authors in 1924, as well as the authors who were born that year.

Cllr Rachel Bishop-Firth, executive member for resident services, inclusion and fighting poverty, said: “The birthday celebration for Wokingham Library was a huge success. It was amazing to see so many people turn out for this historic occasion and a reflection of just how cherished our libraries are in Wokingham Borough. They are about so much more than just books.

“There was a lovely feeling to the event, with people from different walks of life sharing stories about their previous involvement with the library and why it means so much to them. We are hugely grateful to the staff and volunteers that not only put together this event, but for the work they do all year to make our libraries such a brilliant asset.”

Members of CLASP Wokingham visited the library for the second time in two days, as the choir returned to perform for visitors on the Friday (6 September). The choir sang hits such as Dancing Queen by ABBA, Sweet Caroline by Neil Diamond and The Bare Necessities from The Jungle Book.

Cllr Mather said: “It was a privilege to be involved with the 100th birthday celebration for Wokingham Library and a great opportunity to raise the profile of its services, as well as being able to support a brilliant local charity in SHARE Wokingham, which does great work to help families in need.

“A lot of time and effort went into making this important day very memorable, but this is just the sort of passion and dedication that the library team show towards all that they do and I would like to congratulate them for the role they have played over the last century – here’s to the next 100 years!”

Debs Morrison, CEO at CLASP added: “We had the best time helping the library celebrate to their anniversary. We sang, danced and laughed through our favourite songs. We love partnering with the library, using them for our quiet puzzle club and engaging in any specific project, such as book night, and appreciate them coming along to CLASP to do our book corner once a month.”

History of Wokingham Library

The first iteration of the town's library opened in the former Bank Room of Wokingham Town Hall, which is now the Jubilee Room, on 5 September 1924. It was initially open for just two hours per week and with only 250 books.

The library moved to Montague House in Broad Street in May 1951, allowing for an expanded service. It was open for ten hours a week and had more than 4,500 registered readers in the first year.

A decision was taken in 1994 to build a larger library at the former G.K. Motors site on the corner of Denmark Street and Langborough Road. This was a joint venture, funded by Berkshire County Council, Wokingham District Council and Wokingham Town Council. The new library was officially opened in October 1996.

The new library at the Carnival Hub opened on 20 September 2022. It was due to open a day earlier, but this was delayed following the death of Queen Elizabeth II.