Govanhill Library to close for more than two months for repairs from June

Work on upgrading Govanhill Library is set to start on Saturday, June 4 when the facility will be open from 10am to 2pm. It will then shut down to allow the project to be completed, with the work expected to take around ten weeks.

Glasgow Life, which delivers culture and sport services in the city, is planning internal and external structural improvements, including strengthening the library’s back wall and installing roof railings for safety purposes.

Users are being encouraged to visit Gorbals Library during the closure, with opening times at that venue restored to pre-pandemic hours.

Andrew Olney, head of communities and libraries at Glasgow Life, said: “Libraries are at the heart of Glasgow’s communities, and Govanhill Library is no different. This investment of £183,000 is necessary to improve the structure of the library and will ensure it remains a vital community facility, for the people who love and use it, for years to come.

“Our nearby libraries at Langside, Gorbals and Pollokshields will be providing the same services for users while the work is being carried out.”

From Monday, June 6, Gorbals Library will be open from 10am to 5pm on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays and 10am to 8pm on Tuesdays and Thursdays. It will be closed on Sundays.

Library users can also borrow books and attend classes at Langside and Pollokshields libraries and Glasgow Life’s communities team is “exploring ways of offering alternative services and access to activities for children, young people, and families within Govanhill Neighbourhood Centre throughout this temporary closure”.

Work on Govanhill Library, which will be carried out by City Building Glasgow, was halted by the pandemic.

Once complete, the library will return to its pre-pandemic hours. It will be open from 10am to 5pm on Mondays, Wednesdays, Friday and Saturdays and 10am to 8pm on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

Cllr Soryia Siddique, Labour’s new deputy leader in the city and a Southside Central representative, said: “I look forward to the completion of repairs to Govanhill Library and it is important this is done with the least disruption to library users. I welcome the library opening to pre-pandemic hours.“As someone who has visited the library over the past ten years, I have seen firsthand how busy and important Govanhill Library is for the local communities.”