Southmead Library will be relocating across the road to a new temporary home at Southmead House next month. The current library will close at the end of Saturday 17 September and will shut for two weeks while the library team move stock and equipment. The new look library will then reopen on Tuesday 4 October.
The relocation is part of a larger, long-term regeneration plan for Southmead. Bristol City Council is working with Southmead Development Trust to deliver the Southmead Masterplan, the community-led vision that was adopted in 2018 with wide input from many of the residents and stakeholders. This includes a range of permanent improvements to the Arnside Road shopping area, including creating a greener, more sustainable high street, new housing and improved green space.
As part of the new development, Southmead Library will eventually be moved to a new purpose-built home as part of the community-led development at Glencoyne Square. The permanent library is expected to share the space with a community enterprise hub, and will aim to offer longer opening hours and improved services to better support the local community.
The temporary library at Southmead House will provide all the usual services people have come to expect from Southmead Library, including a wide range of books, a designed children’s library, free public computers, a self-service kiosk, plus information and signposting. There will be a direct telephone line to the Citizen Service Point, to allow people to contact the council’s customer service team for any enquiries.
The library team will also be setting up a new Business Centre (BIPC Local), a dedicated space to help support and grow local small businesses and help the economic recovery of the city.
Opening hours will remain the same:
Monday: closed
Tuesday: 11am – 5pm
Wednesday: 11am – 5pm
Thursday: closed
Friday: 1 – 5pm
Saturday: 11am – 5pm
Sunday: closed