12 October 2017

Cast your vote for perfect pictures

Voting is now open for people in Banff to choose their favourite images to be displayed inside the newly refurbished library.

Each of the seven pictures depict old Banff and the three that receive the most votes will be mounted on the library walls.

Cllr Gillian Owen, Chair of Aberdeenshire Council’s Education and Children’s Services Committee, said: “It is lovely to see the staff at Banff Library involving the community in deciding which of these beautiful images will be displayed.

“I would urge as many people as possible living in the Banff area to cast their vote to make this decision as representative of the community as possible.”

Cllr Mark Findlater, Committee Vice Chair, said: “It is going to be a really hard decision to choose which of these fantastic pictures will be displayed on the library walls.

They all are windows into the historic past of old Banff which will bring back loving memories for some and inspire others to find out more about their story.

This wonderful newly refurbished library is well worth a visit for local folk and visitors from further afield, so please pop in.”

Longmore and Fraser stores in the High Street, Banff Bay and the location where the library was built in 1902 are just some of the pictures people can choose to vote for.

Banff Library reopened its doors last month following a refurbishment. The library boasts new digital resources and a 3D printer.

It occupies the two ground floor rooms of a C-listed building which was built with funding from the Robert Carnegie Trust to house both a public museum and public library.

Improvements to Banff Library include access to the upstairs museum through the instillation of a lift along with energy-efficient lighting and heaters as well as an upgrade of the electrics and security systems throughout. These works were funded on the whole by external funding from the Scottish Government’s Regeneration Capital Grant Fund which totaled £295,000 and covered the refurbishment of the library and museum and work to former Meal House on Banff’s Bridge Street to turn it into a creative studio.

As part of the refurbishment, the main library room has been refreshed with new furniture including comfortable seating and themed graphics for the children's area. The reading room now has new sofas with built-in USB and power sources for relaxing or working on your own device and the Local Studies resources have been transferred to the room along with two new PCs.

The refurbished library also now features a table and chairs kindly donated in memory of the late Mrs Mary Masson by her family. Mrs Masson was a very keen library user and wanted to share her love of libraries and reading with the wider Banff community.

To cast your vote visit https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/HFKW6CM.

Voters have until Tuesday, 31 October to cast their votes. There are copies of the images on display in the library’s reading room.