Hounslow (Parliament Politics Magazine) – Cranford Library is relocating to Hounslow Council’s Meadowbank Centre, which will be transformed into the Meadowbank Community Hub and Library.
In October, the new Community Hub and Library will open, less than 500 meters from Cranford Library’s existing location.
The new facility, which was planned with the inhabitants in mind, will have a contemporary, friendly library and a special children’s area in addition to the current adult education program and assistance from Work Hounslow.
Additionally, there will be specialized support on topics including employment, money management, and health and wellness. Such assistance will be offered in a welcoming setting with public PCs, digital access points, and private areas for guidance and support.
The new Hub will offer Council services as well as those of partners like Citizen’s Advice Hounslow, Healthy Hounslow, the Department of Work and Pensions, Connect to Work, and others.
Cranford Library will be temporarily closed starting at the end of September when the Council moves books and library supplies to the new location.
Councillor Ajmer Grewal, Cabinet Member for Resident Support, Communities and Equality at Hounslow Council, said:
“We are happy to be delivering this exciting new hub in Cranford. We’re creating a place where people can access information, advice and guidance.
The hub will also continue to offer local people a range of adult education courses to help with building confidence, securing a new job, meeting new people and more. We hope that our new Meadowbank Community Hub and Library will offer something to everyone in Cranford and its surrounding areas.”
Councillor Salman Shaheen, Cabinet Member for Culture, Leisure and Public Spaces at Hounslow Council, said:
“I’m looking forward to throwing open the doors of our new library at Meadowbank. This remarkable new space delivers a brand-new library, with a magical new children’s library.
We will be delivering community hub support at all our libraries by the end of this year. This is part of our wider ambition to bring council services together, closer to residents’ homes. Meadowbank Community Hub and Library is an outstanding example of this and will be a fantastic asset for people in Cranford.
Works to improve the existing, popular Meadowbank Centre are well underway: we hope that Cranford Library users are looking forward to their remarkable new hub and library as well.”
How will the temporary closure for moving affect my access to books and PCs?
While the library is closed for relocation and refurbishment, residents will not have physical access to their library books or PCs. Residents will be encouraged to continue using digital library services, like e-books, audiobooks, and online databases, which are still accessible online with a library card.
Some local libraries and community hubs may have physical books to borrow or access to computers during the period the library is closed. The Council generally informs users about the closure period, and offers updates for alternative resources and services that may be available.
When the library has reopened at Meadowbank Community Hub and Library, it will have a modernized library space, equipped with public PCs, and will have expanded access points for digital access.