Huddersfield Library is about to move as preparations start on the £210 million Cultural Heart re-development.

Queensgate Market has already closed and now the library will move from the Huddersfield Library and Art Gallery building on Princess Alexandra Walk that’s been its home since the Second World War.

The first phase of the flagship Cultural Heart programme includes a new and modern library that will be housed inside an extended Queensgate Market building, alongside a food hall.

Kirklees Libraries will start the move to Kirklees Council’s Customer Service Centre, known as Civic Centre III, in Market Street.

The existing library will remain open to the public until noon on New Year’s Eve when it will close its doors for the last time.

The plan is for library building to become the new Huddersfield Museum, with the Huddersfield collections moving into town from Tolson Museum in Ravensknowle Park which will cease to be a museum.

The new temporary library location will include adults and children’s books and IT facilities and will open in early January 2023.

The Local Studies library and Kirklees Transcription Service will be temporarily relocating to premises on Victoria Lane and are due to open in February.

The new temporary home for Huddersfield Library at Civic Centre III

To mark the library move, Kirklees Libraries is inviting the public to attend events throughout December.

Writer-in-Residence Christina Longden is hosting two events on Saturday December 10 and Saturday December 17 (10am-3pm) where people can share memories of their time at Huddersfield Library.

There will also be musical entertainment via a rap workshop celebrating books, stories and libraries, a family-friendly performance of A Winter’s Tale with local theatre group Fettle and Fable; a book launch featuring a Library Adventure Live! and an interactive poetry session with local poet Matt Goodfellow.

The library will move into the Customer Service Centre building alongside the customer services team until the new, state-of the-art library is complete in Spring 2026.

Clr Paul Davies, Cabinet member for corporate services, said: “Huddersfield Library has been open since the Second World War and is held dear by many thousands of residents across the district.

“I’m excited about the move into a brand new state-of-the-art library in Spring 2026, and hope that people will visit Kirklees Libraries in its temporary location whilst the work takes place.

“I encourage people to take the opportunity to visit the existing library before the move, to share their stories and memories at any of the planned events this month.”

Clr Graham Turner, Cabinet member for growth and regeneration, said: “It’s great to get some momentum behind the Cultural Heart programme and our transformation of Huddersfield town centre.

“Renewing our historic library building is a key part of the project and this is an important first step towards achieving our ambitions.”

For further details about Kirklees Libraries events visit www.ticketsource.co.uk/kirkleeslibraries

Huddersfield Civic Society welcomes plans for the Cultural Heart but has concerns over a lack of car parking