A pop-up library is coming to Cleator Moor following the temporary closure of the permanent building.

The pop-up library has been made possible by a partnership between Cumbria County Council, the Phoenix Enterprise Centre and Cleator Moor Town Council.

The public library is currently closed for safety reasons and repair work after the ceiling of the Victorian building was damaged last week.

Premises for the pop-up library have been provided at Unite 1a, Phoenix Court, Cragg Road, by Phoenix Enterprise Centre.

The town council has been hosting a book drop to ensure library customers could return books, and has accommodated the first meeting of the new Lego club organised for young people by library staff.

The pop-up library is open on Mondays from 9am to 2pm, Tuesdays and Thursday from 9am to noon and 1pm to 5pm, and Fridays from 9am to 2pm.

It is closed on Wednesdays and at weekends.

It has a wide selection of books and resources for all ages and interests, and will host activities including Knit and Natter social craft sessions and Tech Time sessions where people can get familiar and more confident using smartphones and tablets.

All these activities will be supported by the Cleator Moor Library team.

As well as replacing the ceiling of the main library, the county council is carrying out other improvement work, including replacing windows and heating systems.

This will involve liaising with conservation experts to ensure this work is sensitive to the building’s listed building status.

Councillor Deborah Earl, cabinet member for local communities, said: “I am delighted to see that a pop-up library service will be available for the Cleator Moor community, and the introduction of new activities for all ages demonstrates the council’s commitment to libraries. It’s also a great example of partnership working between local organisations.

“Libraries are community hubs providing access to a huge range of resources, experiences and learning. Like all council services, government cuts have put financial pressure on libraries. The council has made every effort to manage this without affecting the service the public receives. This has been successful and Cumbria has avoided the wholesale closure of libraries that have occurred elsewhere in the country.”