Acton Town Hall and Northolt libraries, and the Dominion Centre are to be given a £900,000 refurbishment to create spaces for community and cultural events.
They will continue to offer everything you would expect in a library, including books, study space, online access and activities such as story time for children. But their layouts will change to make them more flexible and able to also offer spaces available for hire by the community.
Each library will be designed to have a modern, flexible look and feel with lots of natural light Changes include; mobile bookshelves replacing traditional fixed shelves so that they can be moved around to create space for cultural events, performances, meetings and community groups.
Temporary closure
To enable the improvements to take place, Acton and Northolt libraries will be closed from Monday 4 November until March 2025, but they will move to smaller temporary new homes.
Library users will be able to borrow and return from a selection of the most popular books at the temporary libraries. Acton’s temporary library will be on the ground floor of the same building in Acton High Street. A cabin will be put up beside Northolt Library, in Church Road, and staff will be on hand to help visitors. Northolt Library users can use their nearest library at Northolt Leisure Centre or any of the borough’s other libraries.
Technology
Technology will also be upgraded at the libraries. Visitors will still be able to use the libraries’ computers and tablets or bring their own devices and use extra digital plug-in points being installed.
Improvements will also be made to the underutilised foyer in the Dominion Centre, Southall in The Green. As well as creating more space available for hire for community use, a new meeting room and kitchenette is being added to Southall library.
The improvements are being funded by the UK Shared Prosperity Fund allocated to Ealing Council by the government.
Blerina Hashani, the council’s cabinet member for thriving communities, said: “We want to continue supporting our libraries to be vibrant and inviting places for the community, which is why we’re making this significant investment in them.
“Books will always be at the heart of our libraries but by making the spaces more flexible they can provide so much more, from entertainment, drama performances on a stage in the library to community meetings or celebrations.
Customers will still have access to the 24/7 online resources, be able to order books online, and collect books from other libraries in the borough.
