New look bigger and better Wandsworth Town Centre Library about to open its doors

People who live, work, shop and attend schools in Wandsworth can look forward to a modern new, bigger and better town centre library opening its doors next month.
 
The new Wandsworth Town Library will open on November 14 and offer visitors a full range of library and community services.

Visitors will be able to borrow books, audio books and e-books, DVDs, surf the web free of charge, access the library’s free wi-fi, use computers, read daily newspapers, and hire meeting spaces as well as printing and photocopying services and a wide range of online references tools.
 
In total it will boast more than 40,000 books and a separate and well-stocked children’s library with its own separate toilets and baby changing area. 

It also uses heat pump technology with comprehensive insulation and other energy saving measures like double glazed windows to lower its carbon footprint and make the building more sustainable.
 
To prepare for the opening of the new library, the existing town centre library in Garratt Lane will close to the public on October 30. This will allow time for staff to transport its book collection and other materials to their new home. The timing will also ensure a full range of library services are still available to younger visitors during their schools’ half term break.
 
Judi Gasser, Wandsworth Council’s Cabinet Member for Environment said: “This is a fantastic new town centre library providing an excellent community resource for residents of all ages.
 
“It is a bigger and better fully modernised library with a much larger children’s section than was possible at the existing town centre library. This investment in library services in Wandsworth comes at a time when many councils in London and elsewhere are closing libraries to save money. This is absolutely not the case in Wandsworth.”
 
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. 

GLL works closely with the council to ensure libraries provide the services local people want. This includes new e-resources and software, cloud-based printing and photocopying, more e-books, shorter waiting times for reserved items, free wi-fi and access to computers plus an extensive programme of free events including homework clubs, children’s craft activities and story times, author readings and adult learning classes.