Situated in the heart of Newark town, Newark Library closed for maintenance and repair works and reopened in July 2024.

Nottinghamshire County Council approached Arc Partnership to carry out the scheduled maintenance. Upgrades were carried out on the library’s heating and cooling systems to better control the temperature and improve the comfort of both customers and staff.

Newark Library is operated by Inspire: Culture, Learning and Libraries, a charitable community benefit society that provides cultural and educational services throughout Nottinghamshire.

Inspire is continuously dedicated to updating and renovating libraries throughout the county, ensuring they remain accessible and actively utilised.

Work began on the library in January 2024, addressing the heating and cooling system issues to help regulate the temperature in the colder and hotter months.

Dean continued saying, "The works were carried out to replace the old heating and cooling system, this will ensure a pleasant environment in the library and additional enhancements have improved the visual impact, providing a fabulous community space for everyone to enjoy”.

The unique feature of this library lies in its full glazing, resembling a greenhouse. The original design led to issues such as overheating in the summer and an inability to maintain consistent temperatures during the winter.

The temperature within the building would fluctuate drastically, ranging from -20°C to +40deg. This means a 60-degree swing rendered a sole mechanical solution became unfeasible. Consequently, a comprehensive thermal model of the building was conducted to allow the team to find a solution. This led to a thermal fabric upgrade and a new mechanical design and installation.

The exterior of this unique building appears unchanged; however, 25% of the upper glazing now features a new insulated panel installed behind the existing glass. This fabric-first approach will enhance the building's energy performance.

The library was completed in July 2024, with the newly designed solution meeting the requirements by maintaining a mean temperature of +20 degrees.

The incorporation of 8 heat recovery units has significantly improved the building's performance, making it an exceptionally energy-efficient solution that is more comfortable for both staff and customers.

After reopening, Newark Library has reunited the community with activities like the Summer Reading Challenge sponsored by Arc Partnership, family fun days, and a new autumn season of events and Adult Learning.