Share your thoughts on Rhyme Time and the library
If you have a child under 5, let us know what you enjoy about Rhyme Time and the library and what could be improved. If you also use Camden’s Children’s Centres and Family Hubs, we’d love to hear how they support you.
Your feedback helps us improve services for all Camden families.
Update on Holborn Library
Holborn Library has been closed since Monday 3 February 2025 for refurbishment and reopens on Monday 31 March, in time for the Easter school holidays. There will still be some work taking place in the building, but the library and Local Studies and Archive Centre will be open. Unfortunately the public toilets will be unavailable until Friday 4 April, we apologise for any inconvenience.
Until we reopen, the digital library offer will be available and the closest library is Pancras Square Library.
Swiss at Sixty
The library service is celebrating the sixtieth year of Swiss Cottage Library. The library was opened by Queen Elizabeth II on 10 November 1964. An exhibition, Swiss at Sixty: The Swiss Cottage Library Story, will open in the Gallery at Swiss Cottage Library on March 7th charting the history of this architecturally iconic library. The exhibition has been created by the Local Studies and Archive Service and will be in the Gallery until 3rd April. After which the exhibition will move to Holborn Library.
Also to help celebrate the 60th year the children’s library has been redesigned and there will also be a photographic exhibition created by Camden Adult Community Learning students working on the digital photography course ‘Swiss at Sixty’ who have spent seven months exploring and photographing Swiss Cottage Library. At the outset, the group aim was to create architectural shots of the building both internally and externally, and to learn something of its history. Quite quickly this theme developed and evolved into an exploration not only of the striking and photogenic space, but of its impact on and importance to the local community, who had walked, sat, studied and dreamed within its walls.
Please come and visit to see the exhibitions from 7 March to 3 April.
West Hampstead Library
West Hampstead Library has reopened as planned on Monday 24th March after four months of decarbonisation and redecoration works. The decarbonisation project has supported three ‘Energy Conservation Measures’,
- Renewal of the original single glazed timber and metal windows with double glazed units, in keeping with the existing window design to maintain the heritage of the building.
- Renewal of the dated gas boiler system with Air Sourced Heat Pumps which provides an environmentally cleaner delivery of heating and hot water to the library.
- Renewal of all lighting that is not currently LED lighting, which will save in electricity costs.
The completed Energy Conservation Measures will prevent 9 tonnes of CO₂ emissions per year. Camden Council announced a climate emergency in 2019 and set the ambitious goal to reach net-zero emissions by 2030.
We look forward to welcoming you back to the library.
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Please be aware that services may change again depending on further government announcements.
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We will be adding to these resources in the future. Check back here for more news.