The building's historic features have been sensitively and carefully restored, bringing the building up to the twenty-first century standards fit for a world class city. This major work will ensure the long-term survival of one of our most iconic and much loved buildings.
Central Library will be a place to:
Study and learn
The restored reading room will be a focal point for learning offering a quiet, comfortable and classical environment for study. Central Library will also offer formal and informal learning spaces as well as easier access to our vast reference collection plus more computers, scanning and printing facilities, free wifi and device charging.
Relax and enjoy
The library will be a unique space - the city's living room - with a brand new lending library, new cafes, a bigger and better children's library, performance, exhibition and creative spaces. You'll find a place to meet friends in a relaxing environment.
Be inspired and get creative
The library will be a wonderful place for learning and creativity. Enjoy exhibitions and events and a new performance space. There will be exciting opportunities to experiment and create in the Media Lounge and Henry Watson Music Library. Central will also be home to a BFI Mediatheque with free access to the National Film Archive.
Find things out
Meet like minded people and come up with new ideas in the Business Information Centre. Rediscover the Treasures of Central Library. Explore the past in Archives+ and make use of a huge range of print and online resources in the library's vast reference collections.
See history brought to life
Archives+ in Central Library will be a destination of national and international significance for anyone interested in local or family history. Working in partnership with other archive and family history providers in the region we're bringing thousands of the city's records together under one roof to create an unrivalled collection.
Beryl Evans
FFHS Archives Liaison Officer
[email protected]
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For information about the Library and the new facilities, have a look at its site Archives+ at
http://www.archivesplus.org/
The old Library has a large collection of local and national material which made it a very useful resource. It sounds as if this has been iomproved.