No central library service in Exeter during November
Exeter Central Library will be closed for redevelopment from Monday 5 November - and there will be no library service at Exeter Central at all during the month of November while the library moves to temporary premises next door.
The new Exeter Central Temporary Library will open on Monday 3 December and is to be housed in the Castle Street building next door to the Central Library, which used to be home to the Registration Service and Westcountry Studies Library.
The temporary library will open Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays from 9am to 6pm, on Wednesdays from 10am to 5pm and Saturdays from 9am to 4pm. The temporary library will to be open for the entire 16 months that Central Library is expected to be closed - reopening is scheduled for Spring 2014.
During the period of closure during November, St Thomas Library will be offering longer opening times, on Wednesdays from 9.30am to 5pm and Saturdays 9.30am to 4pm. Library cards can be used at any library in the area, including Pinhoe and Topsham.
During November, Central Library users will still be able to return items via a drop box located outside the library, while items issued at Exeter Central Library from 13 October onwards will automatically have an extended loan period throughout November and will not be due for return during the closure period.
"The people who use Exeter Central Library are important to us and we look forward to providing a completely refurbished library with improved facilities for use when the building works are completed," wrote Lesley Salter, the development officer for Devon Libraries, in a letter to library users.
The £4.1m facelift includes improving the reception area, enhancing the views and creating an entrance into Rougemont Gardens. The children’s library will also be increased in size to create a space for teenagers, as well as a dedicated quiet space for people to study. There will also be improved access for people with mobility difficulties and improved heating and ventilation.
