The public library in Bedale became Bedale Community Library in April 2017, after two years of negotiation to ensure that decisions made in 2015 by NYCC’s executive would not leave the town without a library. It is managed by a small group of unpaid volunteers; they work in cooperation with North Yorkshire Council’s Library Services, which provides ongoing support and training for the 30 or so volunteers who staff it on a day-today basis.
Funding
Applications for assistance in funding the library resulted in grants from Bedale Town Council, Rector and Four & Twenty, NYC Localities budget, Bedale & Villages’ Community Forum, Aiskew & Leeming Bar Parish Council, Crakehall Parish Council, several of the other surrounding villages and NYC’s Stronger Communities programme.
Status, Aims, Brief History and Associated Organisations
Bedale Community Library was registered as a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO) in January 2017 for public benefit. Its aims are to advance the education and cultural enrichment of the residents of Bedale, the residents of North Yorkshire and other library users through the provision of a community library facility and other services.
The trustees of Bedale Community Library, in partnership with North Yorkshire County Council, took over management of the library on 1st April 2017. The charity number for Bedale Community Library is 1171085.
A Friends of Bedale Community Library group was established in the spring of 2017 with the aim of raising funds for the library. To date, it has raised almost £23,000.
Bedale Community Library - Timeline to Launch
Bedale Community Library - BBC Look North Report
Alan Bennett Interview