Wandsworth Town Centre Library is open for business!  

The modernised new town centre library opened yesterday (Tuesday) and is already proving popular with visitors of all ages.

On the ground floor is a well-stocked bright and colourful, riverbank-themed, children’s library in its own area with separate family toilets and baby changing area, while also on the ground floor is a big collection of fiction titles for teen and adult readers.

Upstairs boasts an extensive non-fiction collection including biographies, history, community languages and plenty of practical titles.

All told the new library stocks more than 40,000 books as well as e-books, audio books and a wide range of online reference tools.

People can also access daily newspapers, magazines and periodicals, surf the web free of charge, access the library’s free wi-fi, use computers and hire meeting space as well as access printing and photocopying facilities. 

The first floor also boasts exhibits from Wandsworth’s Heritage Collection which are on display to the public. These historic artefacts have their own dedicated section and will be regularly updated with different items of local historical interest.

Among the first visitors to the new library yesterday were Council Leader Simon Hogg and Deputy Leader Kemi Akinola.

Councillor Hogg said: “This is a fantastic new library in the heart of the town centre that delivers all the important community services that a modern day library should. I think local people will really treasure it.

“This investment in our library network comes at a time when many councils in London and elsewhere are closing theirs to save money. I’m absolutely delighted to say this is not what we are doing in Wandsworth.”

The new library is almost directly next door to the previous one – with its entrance accessed via the Old Burial Ground in Garratt Lane.   

Earlier this year a new look bigger and better Northcote Library opened its doors to the public and has proved hugely popular in that part of Battersea with a more than 40 per cent increase in visitors. There has also been investment to upgrade the buildings at Putney, Tooting and York Gardens libraries.

Wandsworth libraries have also played a leading role in supporting residents through the cost-of-living crisis with three libraries at Roehampton, York Gardens and Battersea Park currently operating extended hours to offer warm spaces and shelter for those struggling to heat their homes. This winter there will be free groups, activities and social engagement across all Wandsworth libraries.

Wandsworth has 11 libraries and a home delivery service, which are all managed on a day-to-day basis by charitable social enterprise GLL, the country’s largest public libraries provider.

For more information please visit www.wandsworth.gov.uk/leisure-and-culture/libraries/.