‘Mini McLean Museum and Wee Watt Library’ Ready for Visitors
Artefacts, archives and exhibits from Inverclyde Council’s McLean Museum and Watt Library are going on display in their temporary new
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home from Monday 7 August 2017.
The new Inverclyde Heritage Hub is now ready to receive visitors at the former Business Store on Cathcart Street in Greenock.
The historic McLean Museum and Watt Library complex is currently closed ahead of a £2 million refurbishment.
Education & Communities Convener Councillor Jim Clocherty said: “The new Inverclyde Heritage Hub is ideally located to give locals and visitors east access to a small part of the rich and varied collections held by the Watt Library and McLean Museum. People will be able to access archives and artefacts related to local history and heritage and they will also be able to access genealogical records and PC’s with free internet access.”
The historic McLean Museum and Watt Library are widely considered as one of the best municipal museums in Scotland for the outstanding collections of art, local heritage, technology and culture.
The Council is investing £1.8 million towards the refurbishment work alongside a grant of £287,000 from Historic Environment Scotland.
Councillor Clocherty added: “The hub will ensure people still have access to all of the services of the Watt Library and archive, and there will be a carefully selected display of materials from the museum – mostly from the World Wars, shipbuilding and local history. Unfortunately it hasn’t been possible to transfer anything from the fine art or world culture collections as they are in storage for the duration of the refurbishment. Nevertheless I am sure there will be plenty to interest, entertain and inform anyone visiting.”
The Inverclyde Heritage Hub is open Monday to Saturday from 10am to 5pm providing access to local and family history resources, a learning suite with free internet access, research & study space, microfilm readers, Archives services, selected Museum displays children’s activities, and a coffee machine.