Friends of Jesmond Library

About Us

Jesmond Library was originally opened on 30th May 1963. The building itself, designed by Henry Faulkner Brown, has attracted much positive attention throughout the years. With its circular reading room nestled in the corner of St George’s Crescent, it is one of the comparatively few post-war buildings in the North East to be officially listed as being of special architectural interest.

In March 2013, Newcastle City Council confirmed its decision to close Jesmond Library, after fifty years of faithful service to the public. However, a group of local residents set up a working group to prepare a plan to open the library on a volunteer basis. Friends of Jesmond Library is now a limited company and registered charity. We have received many generous offers of financial and volunteer support from local residents. Without this support the library would not have been able to re-open or continue to operate. The doors of the library were officially reopened on the 21st September 2013.

As well as retaining the library’s free services, the Friends of Jesmond Library have extended its activities in line with the suggestions of local residents, turning the library into a community hub, enjoyed by all ages. Stay informed of our progress and events by signing up for our newsletter, and, best of all, call into the library, and meet our friendly volunteers.