Cowes Library Reopening Date Set After Refurbishment And Building Works

Cowes' much-loved library is set to reopen its doors at 10am on Monday, 2 June, following a period of building works.

Thanks to a successful bid to Arts Council England’s Libraries Improvement Fund, Cowes Library has undergone essential repairs and upgrades to its facilities.

The improvements mark the beginning of a new chapter for the library, which has long been a cornerstone of the local community.

Once reopened, the library will return to its regular opening hours. While the current phase of works is nearing completion, further enhancements are planned for later in the year, including the installation of a fully accessible toilet.

Library staff are looking forward to welcoming visitors back and say it won’t be long before the usual programme of events and activities is back in full swing.

In the meantime, visitors are advised that toilet facilities will not be available until the next phase of work is complete. Updates will be shared via the Cowes Library website and Facebook page.

During the closure, a temporary ‘pop-up’ library service was hosted at the Beckford Centre by the Cowes Heritage and Community Group. The initiative proved a great success, attracting nearly 2,000 visitors over the eight-week period.

The pop-up library will close at 1pm on Friday, 30 May, and will not reopen on Saturday 31 May, to allow staff time to prepare the main library for reopening on Monday.

Library Supervisor, Adam Gaterell, said:

“We were really grateful to be able to continue serving our customers at the Beckford Centre throughout the building works.

"Now we can’t wait to get back into the newly improved library, resume our full service, welcome back regular customers — and hopefully join up some new ones!”

To stay informed about upcoming events and library news, residents are encouraged to follow www.facebook.com/iwlibraries and www.facebook.com/isleofwightcouncil