Opening date announced for Paisley’s new central library

Paisley’s new central library and learning hub will open to the public in late November 2023, in its new home in the heart of the town’s High Street.

The Paisley Learning and Cultural Hub will be a new modern home for library services in the centre of town. Due to open in late 2023, the new facility will bring back into use a formerly-vacant shop unit on Paisley High Street.

To allow for the smooth transition of library services, the current Paisley Central Library, based in a temporary structure next to the Lagoon Leisure Centre, will be closed to the public from September 22. This will allow the library’s collection of books and other materials to be transferred to its new home as final preparations are made for its opening.

Joyce Higgins, Libraries and Digital Development Manager at OneRen, the charitable trust which operates Renfrewshire Libraries, said: “We’re counting down the days until we reveal our incredible new library facility on the High Street. Across four floors, it will provide a venue where everyone is welcome to come and enjoy what will be one of Scotland’s best library facilities.

“We will have spaces for children and families to enjoy, IT and digital facilities offering increased connectivity, spaces for events and to support the Paisley Book Festival – and, of course, places where you can enjoy some time with a good book, away from it all.

“Our new library will be a central focus for the communities of Paisley and Renfrewshire and we look forward to welcoming everyone to our new home.”

When the current Paisley Central Library closes, library users will be able to access nearby services at Ralston, Ferguslie and Glenburn libraries. Services are also available to all, online, 24/7, allowing access to ebooks and e-audiobooks, as well as a large number of digital resources.

Eligible customers can also continue to make use of Renfrewshire Libraries’ free home delivery and collection service. Further details are available at the Renfrewshire libraries website.

The new central library facility is part of Renfrewshire Council’s multi-million investment in the town’s cultural venues. Councillor Lisa-Marie Hughes, Renfrewshire Council’s Cultural Spokesperson and Chair of OneRen, said: “I know that the people of Paisley and Renfrewshire are looking forward to seeing the fruits of our investment in the town centre – all of which is designed to increase footfall and vibrancy across the local area.

“With the re-opening of the newly refurbished Paisley Town Hall, our new central library facility will further improve Paisley’s position as a must-visit destination as we continue on our journey to revitalise the town centre through investment in our cultural treasures and outdoor spaces.”

Renfrewshire Council is also refurbishing the Paisley Arts Centre and Paisley Museum is being transformed into a world-class home for the town’s internationally-significant collections

The £7 million investment in Paisley Learning and Cultural Hub includes £1.5 million in funding from the Scottish Government’s Regeneration Capital Grant Fund and is being delivered on behalf of the Council by Hub West Scotland who have appointed Collective Architecture to create the new design, and main contractor CCG to deliver the refurbishment.