Open later and on Sundays… Rouen libraries extend opening hours
A campaign promise by candidate Nicolas Mayer-Rossignol, protested by staff during a strike a year ago, the project to extend library opening hours finally sees the light of day in Rouen this Sunday, January 22, 2023.
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Open from noon to two, to 7:00 p.m. and even on Sundays: from January 22, 2023, the libraries of Rouen are being renewed. In terms of time amplitude, the Norman capital was actually below the national average for municipalities with more than 100,000 inhabitants. “Compared to other cities of the same size, the average week was 48 hours, and we were 41 hours. Marie-Andrée Malleville, Rouen’s deputy for culture, deciphers. With this new schedule, we move to 50 hours. »
Simone-de-Beauvoir is open on Sundays
Rue’s seven libraries are networked, each with its own selection area and its own tables. This will not change “Because it’s so complicated to fit everything. On the contrary, we have tried to adapt the schedules to the rhythm of the neighborhoods where the libraries are located. » For example, in Parment and Saint-Sever, closing was postponed to 19:00 instead of 18:00. “to adhere more closely to the working hours of the shopping centers where they are located”, and the possibility to go by appointment to the Châtelet library on Thursday mornings, “Because it’s Sunday in the neighborhood.”
The big innovation is the Sunday opening. This is the Simone-de-Beauvoir library in the Grammont district, the third most visited structure with 34,000 entries selected for the experiment. “It made sense to us because it’s the most conducive to family outings on Sundays with the park next door.”Marie-Andrée Malleville justifies.
Eleven agents were hired
Will the Rouennais from other districts visit Grammont? Met at the Parment library in the city center, the most popular on the network with 59,000 entries, this father of three is skeptical: “He’s gone too far. Not the easiest library to access by public transport, especially on Sundays. » Camille, a freelance journalist and mother of two children aged 13 and 1, may be tempted. “I don’t know this library, there may be an opportunity to go there with the family. » He mainly goes to the Villon and Parment libraries during the week to work. Appreciates the subsequent closing of the Parment, “Because 6pm was a bit early to stop work.”
The city is allowing one year to test these new schedules and adjust them if necessary. This new schedule required the hiring of eleven additional reception staff, meaning an additional operating cost of €800,000 per year in the municipality’s payroll.
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