Library to close ahead of move to museum building

5 December 2024

Llandrindod Library is to close its doors for a month as it prepares to move a short distance and into the same building as Radnorshire Museum, Powys County Council has announced.

The library, which is currently based at the Gwalia, will be closed from Saturday 7 December and will re-open at its new home on the ground floor of Radnorshire Museum on Monday 6 January 2025.

The museum will be located upstairs but will not re-open until April 2025.

The move follows the same model of service delivery adopted in Brecon, Llanidloes and Welshpool where both museum and library share space, resources and staffing. It is taking place as the council approved to dispose of the Gwalia earlier this year so a new home for the library was needed.

Cllr Richard Church, Cabinet Member for a Safer Powys, said: "Our libraries and museums are trusted spaces, free to enter and open to all. Delivering a joint service from one building means we can provide a sustainable and long-term future for both while continuing to deliver and extend the health and wellbeing benefits that libraries and museums can offer." 

The move is a positive example of how council services can be re-modelled to improve outcomes whilst making longer-term savings. This ethos is central to Sustainable Powys, an approach the council is taking to be innovative and pro-active to re-think how services are delivered to meet future budget pressures.

When the library re-opens, it will continue to offer a good range of books in Welsh and English, digital resources, information and support around accessing council services, and wi-fi printing.

Readers across Powys are also being reminded that the council has a:

• Find a Book service.
• Find a Library page.
• Join the Library page.
• eBooks, EAudiobooks and ePress (newspapers) Service.
• eMagazines service.

All these services, and more, can be accessed through the StoriPowys website, which is the new online home for all the council's Arts and Culture Services.

"Radnorshire Museum collects and cares for objects which reflect the cultural diversity and heritage of the county," added Cllr Church.

"Together the library and museum will organise and host a wide range of events and activities for all ages, from pre-school storytimes to dementia friendly events."