Charlotte Mason Library Official Opening Ceremony

(from left to right, Professor Christopher J Carr, Helen Marshall, Margaret Weaver, Lisa Bruce, Sir Brian Fender)

The Charlotte Mason Library on the Ambleside Campus was officially opened on 20 May by Sir Brian Fender. Over a hundred guests attended the opening, which included tours of the new buildings led by library staff. Fears that a few local residents may disrupt the event by protesting the library's construction proved to be unfounded as none were in attendance.

The proceedings began with Helen Marshall welcoming guests to the Campus and outlining the significance of the Library's name by paying tribute to the work of Charlotte Mason. Chris Carr went on to put the building in relation to the development of the College as a whole. He thanked both college staff and the architects and constructors for their considerable endeavours.

Sir Brian spoke warmly about developments of Higher Education in Cumbria and the need for collaborative models that he saw as being evidenced in the way the college is working.

The library was completed in February 2003. Great care was taken in designing and building the library so that it would fit in seamlessly with the character and style of the area. It provides a wide range of facilities and services for staff and students alike. Over 70,000 items are available for lending. 8000 of these are for teaching practice and range from historical costumes to musical instruments.

The library also contains a Cyber Café, where Internet access is available as well as snacks and drinks. The IT facilities are made up off three state of the art teaching rooms which contain 28 multimedia PCs each. Many of these computers have CD writing and DVD playing capabilities.

There is a large open access room which has 30 PCs, as well as a further 20 PCs throughout the building. Each IT teaching room has video and data projection onto a digital smart board with audio amplification and visualisers. Purpose built video conferencing facilities are located on the ground floor for easier access.

The building was constructed using over 450 tonnes of Westmorland Green Elterwater Slate so it would blend in with other buildings in Ambleside.