The Norfolk and Norwich Millenium Library – could Hereford’s state-of the-art Hereford Centre look like this?

 One of the finest regional public libraries in the country, the Norfolk & Norwich Millenium Library is located at the Forum, a landmark Millennium building designed by architects Michael Hopkins & Partners. As well as the state-of-the art Millennium Library, the Forum houses learning organisations, a local radio station, café, restaurant and takeaway facilities, tourist information and a Heritage visitor attraction. The complete Forum project cost £63 million, funded by a £31 million grant from the Millennium Commission with matching support from Norfolk County Council, Norwich City Council and the business community. This architectural centrepiece at the heart of the historic city, close to one of its finest medieval churches, has become a major tourist attraction with about 30,000 visitors a week.Library facilities include: shelving capacity to display 120,000 books to suit all tastes; over 100 PCs with free internet, email and office software; 5 self service terminals; 220 study spaces. 

The ground floor ‘Express’ section has fast self-service terminals, evening and weekend opening, and eye-catching, ‘book shop’ style displays for both adults and children. Those who are pressed for time can find and borrow just what they want, whether it is a book, CD, video or DVD, even when the Main Library is closed.  

The first floor houses fiction; information books on all subjects, mostly available to borrow; newspapers and magazines; special interest CDs and videos; computing facilities; books on tape and CD, and in large print; books in foreign and community languages. Instead of a separate Reference Library, all the information on a particular subject held in book form is in one place – books for loan and books for reference are found together on the same shelves. 

The second floor Business Library provides trade and company directories; market research reports; current and back copies of over 50 business periodicals; access to databases listing local, national and international businesses and business information products; information on company and business law, including full text British Standards; and business books available for loan. 

The Norfolk Heritage Centre is the ideal place to research family or local history. It combines the Norfolk Studies Department with a duplicate Norfolk Record Office microfilm search room. There is access to key information sources – Census Returns, Births, Marriages and Deaths Index, IGI, Parish Records, maps and old photographs together with microfilm/fiche readers, study spaces, PCs and specialist staff are on hand to help.

 Acknowledgements:                                 The exterior of Norwich Library

text: www.norfolk.gov.uk/leisure_and_culture/libraries   www.historicalnorwich.co.uk   Photos: courtesy of CABE www.cabe.org.uk