Author returns to college to open £2m library

A bestselling author from Shropshire has returned to her former college to open its new £2m library.

Emma Cooper, who studied at Telford College, has had her novels translated into seven languages.

The new two-storey Haybridge Library has study rooms and areas, a teaching space, and more than 150 seats.

"I didn't realise how important my time here was, and how much it would impact me and my life going forward," Cooper said.

"It taught me to sit closely with ideas, let them develop, and more importantly to keep going if things don't always go right.

"Libraries are so important. It's not just about a room full of shelves, it's about a place of tranquillity and a place that we can escape."

Speaking on Instagram, she added: "When I was a student there, covered in paint, or clay or in the dark room, I never imagined that I would be standing there 30 years later, opening a library as a published author of seven books!!"

She told students to "take advantage" of the facility and "read widely".

"Read things that you wouldn't normally pick up," she said.

"It doesn't always have to be about studying; it should also be about pleasure and about finding the person that you want to be."

The library was part-funded by a government capital transformation fund, and the college is also investing £15,000 to start its new book collection.

Lawrence Wood, principal and chief executive, said the new facility demonstrated the college's ambition to provide high quality education and training.

"Within this space students can develop skills that will have a lifelong impact - learning how to verify information, learning how to analyse content for its authenticity and learning how to make a judgement on the basis of evidence - skills that are needed more than ever."

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