The Central library will have four self-service machines which give you the opportunity to:
• Take charge of your own loans, returns and payments
• Reduce the time queuing for DVDs, CDs and reserved books
• Have more privacy to borrow what you want
Will there be help?
• Staff will be on hand next to the units to assist you
• Assistance will be available throughout the library to help you with all your book. membership and information questions
• Specialists will be on hand for local history, maritime, family history and business information
The layout is different
• We have introduced smaller welcoming desks around the library
• We have created more space for browsing, relaxing and reading in comfort
• There are designated quiet and study zones
• We have improved the guiding to make it easier to find your way around the library
What about the books?
• More of our new and popular books will be displayed near the front of the library
• All books will be arranged together in a popular bookshop style by subject to make books easier to find
• If you are familiar with Dewey numbers they will still be used
All books large or small, reference books and books for loan - will be kept together so you will only have one place to look
Online resources
We offer guided access to specialist online resources in the library including:
• Ancestry
• FAME for business information
• Legal databases
Why are you doing this?
You told us:
Staff were very helpful and informative:
More staff have been trained to answer your enquiries and assist you when using the computers. We have changed what we do so even more of their time can be spent helping you
You didn’t like to go from desk to desk:
We have brought all our services together and our staff will come to you
You didn’t like queuing:
You will no longer have to wait for reserved books or DVDs and CDs to be found.
You couldn’t find things easily:
We have improved our guiding, put related subjects together but also kept the Dewey numbers
You wanted a comfortable library:
We have created places to relax and browse
You still wanted quiet places to study:
We have dedicated study zones
You loved the look and feel of the library:
We have tried to make the library modern but retained its traditional charm
View before and after photographs of the Central Library refurbishment
Southampton City Council
