Library rebrand to mark city status confirmed

The library signage is set to be replaced by Douglas Council

A library in the Isle of Man’s capital is to be rebranded in honour of its city status.

The Henry Bloom Noble Library will be renamed the Douglas City Library when its signage is replaced.

Council leader Clare Wells said philanthropist Noble, who died in 1903, would still be remembered in other parts o the island including Noble’s Park and Noble’s Hospital.

She said while some councillors had voted the change down, the decision had already been approved by the executive committee and would be upheld.

Douglas Town Library was renamed as the Henry Bloom Noble Library in 2002 as a compromise after it was decided a suggestion to create a bust in honour of the philanthropist was too costly.

The latest proposal for another rebrand was put forward in a report by the city librarian, which said signage was “nearing the end of its life and will require replacement imminently”.

Ms Wells said the library had only been named after the philanthropist “for a very short period of time” and the council was “going back to what it was before but as a city now”.

The proposals were discussed at the August meeting of the local authority on Wednesday

The rebrand was previously supported by the council's Regeneration and Community Committee, however two members voted against spending up to £9,000 on the project.

Ms Wells said the proposal had then been referred to the Executive Committee, which “rubber stamped it”.

While five councillors voted against the minutes of the RCC at their August meeting, the library rebrand was a “delegated decision” so did not need to have the full approval of the council, she said.

She said: “We’re not trying to take something away, were trying to make it more in tune with what we have today.

“At the end of the day city status is a big thing, we haven’t spent huge amounts of money on raising the flag for that at all.”

No timeline has been placed on the refurbishment of the signage.