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Peacehaven Library will be moving to a smaller unit
within the Meridian Shopping Centre in the autumn of 2018.
Library
usage is changing, as people are able to access information more easily and
cheaper than ever before. This means we
have fewer visits, and those who do visit are looking for a different service.
In the
last ten years usage of Peacehaven Library has decreased by 62% and our public
computers are used, on average, a third of the available time.
The library is also
very large – the area use by customers is only part of the building. The non-public space is more than half as big
again and is used very little. The
library is therefore much larger than is required to serve the needs of
customers.
In addition to the
reduction in usage and unused space, Peacehaven is the most expensive library
in East Sussex per open hour. All of
these factors mean that the current library is not providing good value for
money for council tax payers.
The
move will relocate the library to a more suitable unit in a busier part of the Meridian
Shopping Centre, and help save a significant amount of money without impacting
on the level of service we provide.
Customers
will continue to benefit from all the services we provide in the current
library, including computers and Wi-Fi for free internet access, a great
selection of stock, and a children’s area. The library’s opening hours will
stay the same and, because the service will remain in the shopping centre,
library users will continue to enjoy free parking.
Work to
refurbish the new library space will be completed while services run from the
existing library. It is anticipated that Peacehaven Library will need to close
for a short period in the autumn for fixtures and fittings to be moved, but
customers will be notified in advance.
By moving to the
smaller unit we will be able to provide a more sustainable service for years to
come while providing a space that is more appropriate for the way the community
currently uses its library.
More
information will be made available within the current library and on our website as the project
progresses. If you have any questions please feel free to ask staff when you
next visit the library or email
us
 artist's impression of the new library
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