Dunstable's 'not fit for purpose' library to close

Dunstable Library in Vernon Place opened in February 1967 and cost £75,000 to build

A 51-year-old library that is "no longer fit for purpose" is to close, leaving a town without a book-loaning service for more than two months.

Dunstable Library will shut on Saturday ahead of a move into the £20.1m redevelopment of the town's leisure centre.

No date has been set for the opening of the updated building, but it is hoped it will be ready by March.

About 40,000 books will be moved 0.3 miles (0.48km) to The Dunstable Centre.

A tea party was held at the library to commemorate the end of an era

Tony Bliss, a library-user from Dunstable, said: "I will be looking forward to seeing what it is like, but we can manage for a few months without it."

Anne Salmon, another visitor, said: "I am sorry to see it go, as we are used to it, but I am sure it will be a marvellous new building".

Linda Bryce, a casual library assistant, is excited to be moving into a "completely different modern building"

Linda Bryce, library assistant, said: "I am feeling sad about this library closing as my step-father helped to build it.

"This building is tired, but it is good to have a change."

Central Bedfordshire Council, which runs the library service, says once the doors have been closed, staff will sort out the old building, recruit and train staff and then move all the books,

Library users will be able to access services in nearby Houghton Regis and Leighton Buzzard and a drop-off point will be running at The Grove Theatre in Dunstable.

On 1 April 1970 the loan period for books was increased from two to three weeks and fines increased from 1p to 3p per week

Councillor Ian Dalgarno, executive member for community services, said: "The leisure centre and library in Dunstable were no longer fit-for-purpose or cost-effective to run.

"By bringing services together under one roof, the new facility will reduce running costs."

The council confirmed no decision had been made on the future of the old building.

The new Dunstable library will be located within The Dunstable Centre in Court Drive and is due to be open by March 2019