Posted on Wednesday 16th July 2025
A temporary library will open in an adjoining building while Wombourne library is refurbished.
One of Staffordshire’s libraries is to be completely refurbished soon as part of a £5 million modernisation programme.
Wombourne library is one of 10 larger Staffordshire County Council libraries undergoing extensive work in the next few years.
A temporary library will open in the adjoining community centre, while the main building is transformed.
Hayley Coles, Staffordshire County Council’s cabinet member for Communities and Culture, said:
Staffordshire’s libraries are a valuable part of their communities.
This investment is for libraries that haven’t been improved in recent years and the money will be spent entirely on improving the public areas.
At Wombourne there will be a dedicated children’s area, free wifi and access to the internet, as well as space for people to work on their own devices, access business start-up advice and dozens of other services.
We are creating a much more flexible space to allow for class visits, or groups to meet, and the children’s area will be much larger than before and better able to support youngsters with Special Educational Needs.”
After the library closes its doors at 4pm on Saturday, 2nd August, staff will transfer books to the temporary library, which will open on Thursday, 7th August.
Work is scheduled to last approximately three months, with the library reopening in the autumn.
In the last decade the county council has opened new libraries in Newcastle, Stafford, Codsall and Lichfield, while completely refurbishing Burton and Tamworth.
As well as Wombourne, nine other libraries run directly by Staffordshire County Council, including Leek, Stone, Biddulph, Perton, Kidsgrove, Burntwood, Rugeley, Uttoxeter and Cannock, are in line for future investment.
Leek library is also being renewed in the autumn as part of a central government grant to upgrade the Nicholson Institute.
In each area users will be asked how they use their library and what they want it to look like.
Money for improving public areas has also been set aside for Staffordshire’s 27 Community Managed Libraries to apply for.
Hayley Coles added:
Although Wombourne’s temporary library will be a little smaller, residents will be able to order from the service’s whole stock as usual.
We’ll keep them updated as work progresses and I’m sure they’ll be pleased with the final result when it reopens.”