Library Branches

Brief History

Southend-on-Sea Borough Libraries consist of seven libraries and a mobile library.

Southend Central Library

Southend Library, in Victoria Avenue, is the Central Library. It was opened on 20th March 1974 by Sir John Ruggles-Brise, the Lord Lieutenant of Essex.

Although the outside of Southend Central Library has not changed too much, the inside has.

Southend has seen a complete makeover since then which took part in two phases. The first phase was completed in January 2000 and saw the 2nd floor and basement recarpeted and re-organised. Enough carpet was laid to cover a football pitch and the books moved would stretch the length of the pier! The second phase took place a year later in January 2001. This saw the re-carpet and re-organisation of the remainder of the building. It also saw the introduction of an IT Centre on the 1st floor.

Leigh

Leigh library was built in 1836 as a Rectory. The outside has barely changed in over 100 years and is one of two of our libraries that are listed buildings. (Westcliff is the other one.) On the right is a photograph of Leigh library. We're not entirely sure when it was taken but we think it was around 1910. At that time it was still a rectory as it did not become Leigh Library until 9th October 1928, two years after it was purchased by the Town Council.

Friars

Friars library was opened in 1974, the same year as Southend Central Library. It is part of a community centre off of Constable Way and was refurbished and reorganised in October 1997.

Kent Elms

Kent Elms library was opened in 1964 and is situated in Rayleigh Road near the junction with the A127.

Southchurch

Southchurch library was not always at Lifstan Way. It was originally in the Southchurch Hall manor house within Southchurch Hall Park and just like the old Southend Central Library it became a museum. The new premises in Lifstan Way opened on the 9th September 1972.

Thorpedene

Thorpedene library was opened in August 1965 and is located near the junction of Station Road and Maplin Way. It replaced the old Shoebury Branch library previously in Ness Road.

Westcliff

Westcliff library opened in 1960 and is one the two Southend Borough libraries which are listed buildings (the other is Leigh). The outside hasn't changed much but the inside was refurbished in 1985 and re-carpeted in 2001. This library is to be found at the junction of London Road and Fleetwood Avenue.

Mobile Library

Southend Borough Libraries has a mobile library that takes books to people who find it difficult to visit the library.

The vehicle is equipped with an on-board computer linked directly to the ELAN system and the Library Manager now has the facility to place orders for books, CDs, videos etc. and answer customer queries. Southend Libraries was the first authority in the country to provide this enhanced service.