A community haven unveiled

Una Marson is a treasured Southwark heroine hailed for her contributions to the literary world and as the first Black woman programme maker at the BBC, the library’s name was selected by the local community to honour Southwark’s rich cultural heritage.

The new library is a haven for the community. It is a place to relax, learn, meet and be inspire, whether you are one or ninety-one. Una Marson was an inspiration to thousands, so it is absolutely fitting that this inspirational space is named after her.

The new library provides traditional services such as book and DVD loans, newspapers and periodicals, public access PCs, printing and copying facilities, bookable meeting rooms, study spaces, free Wi-Fi and a self-service health kiosk. The library also includes an innovation space, which provides the opportunity to trial new programmes and services.

The new Library is situated on the ground floor of an urban block with residential accommodation in the floors above. The spaces are accessed via the main Library entrance during normal working hours and via a separate secondary door after hours. The library and community spaces face onto the new public square. The Community spaces comprise a total 198sqm floor area, with a multi-use room. There are two meeting rooms in the library and the multi-use room is used as a Stay-and-Play facility in the weekday mornings.

The multi-Use room has durable, water resistant flooring and timber panelling. The multi-use room and meeting rooms are equipped with projector facilities and opens directly onto the children’s library area by means of sliding doors.

The library is fully accessible with level access. It has generous storage for bulky and small items. The natural lighting makes the space feel light and bright.