What's New

Same Service - New location

Wrexham Library will be undergoing major refurbishment this autumn, and while all the work is being done the service will temporarily move into the former KwikSave building at 49 Chester Street.

This temporary library, opening on 5 October 2009, will offer an almost complete range of services, together with a wide choice of books and other resources, although a reduced number of computers will be available.

The permanent library will be closed for six months, while the following improvements are made:

  • A first floor extension will improve study and learning facilities and will display local art
  • A new lift for improved disabled access
  • Installation of wi-fi allowing people to use their own laptops and mobile devices
  • The installation of the BFI Mediatheque, a digital jukebox of films and television programmes from the ever-growing collection of the BFI
  • The stock of books, DVDs and other resources will be refreshed
  • Self-service check-out stations will be installed to speed up the time it takes to take books out.

The refurbishment is financially supported by a grant of £310,000 from CyMAL, Museums, Archives and Libraries Wales, a division of the Welsh Assembly Government.

Although the library will be closed, Oriel Wrecsam and the Coffee Shop will remain open throughout the refurbishment period.

Latest News on the Refurbishment

Wrexham Library’s refurbishment is now underway and this page will keep you up-to-date with all the current news. So make sure you check back regularly for the latest updates!

5 January 2010

Refurbishment work at Wrexham Library is progressing well and many tasks will be accelerated during January. The new stairs have arrived and will be assembled and erected soon. It is a substantial structure and heavy lifting gear is required to install it.

Work on taking out the old lift has begun, involving cutting it up into manageable pieces, and the new lift will be installed during January.

The glass walls of the new Study Base on the first floor are now in position and the new room will look modern and impressive when it is finished.

The framework for false ceilings have been installed and ceiling tiles will be installed once all the cabling work has been completed.

23 November 2009

The stairs to the first floor have been demolished but this proved to be a tougher job than expected – they were reinforced with steel bars and took longer to demolish than originally anticipated. The next part of the job is to fill the gaping ceiling space left by the demolition work.

Girders for the first floor extension are in place and work will progress on the floor in the near future. This will provide us with a new room for Studybase as well as as gallery space in the Reference Library.

The ‘Kinderpit’ in the children’s library has been filled in and this will give us a larger floor area for popular children’s activities such as Tuesday Toddler Time.

10 November 2009

Some demolition work has started, with the private study booths in the Reference Library being the first to crumble under the force of the sledgehammers.

The balustrading on the first floor has been removed and will be replaced later with modern-looking balustrading that will match the new stairs. The counters have also been removed, to be replaced in the New Year by new purpose-built library counters.

The cladding around the stairs in the foyer has been taken away and the original structure of the stairs is now revealed. These will be demolished during a later phase of the project in order to provide a modern entrance into the library off the foyer. Glass doors will be installed across the foyer at this point and this should contribute significantly to reducing heat loss and cold winter drafts. Cavity wall insulation has now been installed.

2 November 2009

The contractors are now on site and have been setting up the building compound and site office, putting up scaffolding and starting some of the demolition work.

Photo: Cllr Bob Dutton (Lead Member for Communities and Performance) and two of Wrexham Council’s Chief Officers, Alan Watkin (Leisure, Libraries and Culture) and Martin Wright (Transportation and Asset Management) called in to see how the contractors were getting on.

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Do it online!

From the comfort of your own computer you can now:

  1. view what you have on loan
  2. renew what you have on loan
  3. search the library catalogue
  4. request books and other items you have found on the catalogue

All you need is your Library Card and a PIN code.

To obtain your PIN code, visit your local library with your library card and one form of ID giving your name and address. This is required for security reasons.

Self-service PCs

Wrexham Library now provides easier access to PCs without the need to queue at the desk! Just log on using your library card number and PIN code.

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