Holyhead will soon have a brand new library, housed in the iconic Market Hall building.

The ambitious project to revitalise Holyhead Market Hall is set to be completed later this year. However, the town’s new library opens its doors to the public on September 2, after the old library, on Newry Street, closes on Saturday, August 17.

The new library will be bright and modern, whilst also retaining the listed building’s original characteristics and unique sense of history. The library will boast many new facilities; from phone and tablet charging stations, to self-checkout stations where you can borrow and return library books easily. There will also be a teen focused area, and a local history centre, dedicated to Anglesey’s past.

An exciting new event space is found at the heart of the library, where an array of activities and events will be held. Visitors to the library can also take advantage of the flexible social space to meet friends, take part in reading groups or just enjoy a chat.

The library also has a Changing Places toilet, which meets the needs of those with profound learning and/or physical disabilities. Holyhead Market Hall will be the only public building on the Island to provide such facilities, in advance of this becoming a mandatory requirement for all new public buildings.

Having been derelict for over 10 years, Holyhead Market Hall was once considered the poorest condition civic building in Wales and amongst the highest priority for action.

A successful bid to the Welsh Government under the Museum, Archive and Libraries Transformational Capital Grant scheme has invested in creating a new improved Library facility, which will assist in growing the number of Library users and increasing participants in activities.

The investment in the Library is part of a wider project to revitalise the Market Hall, having undergone significant repairs and refurbishment in the past two years, overseen by the County Council’s Heritage Regeneration Team, ensuring it has a sustainable future, whilst respecting and celebrating its history.

Deputy Minister for Culture, Sport and Tourism, Lord Ellis-Thomas, said “We’re delighted to have been part of this exciting project, and it’s been a pleasure working alongside Anglesey County Council to ensure a new lease of life for Holyhead Market Hall.

“Following investment from the Welsh Government, I’ve seen excellent examples where Libraries have been co-located with other public services and cultural facilities which helps to create a greater sense of community spirit and I’m sure that the same will be true of Holyhead Library.”

Education, Libraries, Culture and Youth portfolio holder Cllr Meirion Jones said “The new library will provide a great community resource at the heart of Holyhead. The new library is modern, spacious and provides a diverse range of facilities, and is housed in this fantastic, newly refurbished Market Hall building.”

He added, “The library’s move has obviously meant a short break in service and we would like to apologise for any inconvenience during this period. However, I firmly believe that local residents will be very impressed with this new state of the art facility – it will prove to be a really valuable learning resource for the Holyhead and wider Anglesey community.”