Site maintained by Community Stakeholders
We would like to hear from you!
What would you like from a community run library?
What activities and services would you be interested in?
Would you be interested in volunteering at the library?
Would you support us by becoming a member of the charitable organisation that would run the Library?
Meeting: Thursday 19th & 26th June - 4-6pm @ in the Library Building
Following the Garioch Area Committee (13th May) work has gone apace to get a CAT process underway:
We have received agreement to support us from:
Gloria Malcolm @ Aberdeenshire Voluntary Action (AVA)
Duncan Wallace @ Community Ownership Support Service (COSS)
Laura Preston @ Scottish Land Fund (SLF)
An Expression of Interest (EOI) has been submitted to Aberdeenshire Council and receipt confirmed.
A community engagement session is planned (see more details below).
Support has been sought and pledged by local residents and businesses
A Scottish Charitable Incorporated Organisation (SCIO) constitution has been drafted
And an application to Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator (OSCR) to form Newmachar Culture and Learning Association has been prepared.
We have also submitted an application to the SLF for a Stage 1 grant, to support the costs of a feasibility study.
Next Steps
Community engagement meeting to sign up at least 20 members to the Newmachar Culture and Learning Association who will have voting rights and agree what the Board of Trustees are to do in order to complete the CAT process for the Newmachar Library Building.
You can sign up as a NCLA member now: here
At the Garioch Area Committee (13th May) it was clearly presented that the only option to avoid closure of the Newmachar Library building would be for the community to take over the building.
The Library Service's proposal which is likely to be accepted at the Communities Committee (5th June) is for:
Newmachar Library to co-locate to Newmachar Primary School - the provision supporting book browsing over two 3 hour sessions in the school hall (GP Room), potentialy on a weekday evening and Saturday mornings
Axis Centre used to offer Bookbug sessions (up to 1 a month)
The only option given to the community to continue Library services from the existing library building was if the community could put together a Community Asset Transfer (CAT) application. To this end supporitn councillors had the following agreed:
Confirmation of the commitment to provide at least 6 hours public access to library services in Newmachar
That the Newmachar library building should be kept on a care and maintain basis and a hold should be put on any action with the library building until at least the end of the financial year (March 2026) to allow any CAT to be progressed
That if an Asset Transfer was successfully concluded that the Library Service provision would return to the building if the charges were agreeable
The Council and Live Life Aberdeenshire are running three community consultation sessions to discuss the planned closure of the Newmachar Library building and previson of Library Services through other means (e.g. digital, click-and-collect, mobile & drop off services etc). Come along and have your voice heard!
Held at Newmachar Library
At the Thursday Community Consultation Meeting the Life Life Aberdeenshire representatives presented 5 options for feedback:
Axis Centre - There are various spaces available that could host core library activities, e.g. Bookbug sessions or Reading groups. There is no space for permanent shelving or space for storage of library items. The Axis centre have provided a list of days and times when rooms are currently avaiolable at a cost.
Newmachar school - The library service could provide an occasional pop-up browsing experience in the small hall on Saturdays only. LLA holiday activities could access the space during week days, although this would need to be discussed with the holiday clubs. There may be the opportunity to have a small permanent shelved section for browsing. Safeguarding and accessibility issues would need to be taken into consideration.
Scout Hall - There are various spaces available that would be excellent venues to host core library activities, e.g. Bookbug sessions or Reading groups. The building has a large carpark and is fully accessible. Some community members said being at the outskirts of the village it would be too far for them to walk to.
The Pathway Centre - There are various spaces available that would be excellent venues to host core library activities, e.g. Bookbug sessions or Reading groups. The spaces may be available for a fee.
The Co-op - Possible site for book collections linked to the click and collect service. It is not clear whether the Co-op have been approached and what their thoughts on this proposal is.
The LLA staff said that provision of continued Library Services in Newmachar didn't have to be any one of the above but could be a combination of the options.
Community Asset Transfer (CAT) - It was raised by the community that the option for CAT was no longer being presented, LLA staff said that no-one had come forward expressing an interest. Discussions on this option have been opened to understand what would be involved, and to get a better feel for the £27k maintentance costs that were indicated in the Communities Committee recording (below @ 55m16s of afteroon session link below).
Below are links to the video recordings of the council meetings:
Garioch Area Committee - Feb 4th 2025 - Recording
(YouTube link will take you directly to the relevant item )
Committe Documents for library item.
Communities Committee - Feb 13th 2025 - Morning Recording & Afternoon Recording
(This currently is the Teams link, because the YouTube link hasn't be given yet)
Committe Documents for library item.
More information will appear here after the Newmachar Community Council Meeting. Check back to find out the latest updates and what you can do to help save Newmachar Library.