Penistone Library set to be transformed into new community hub – where to find alternative services

Penistone Library is set to be transformed into a vibrant new community hub, creating a modern and flexible library space while also bringing a range of services together under one roof.

This work is part of our ongoing Libraries Refurbishment Programme to invest in modern and accessible community spaces, as well as our ambition to continue developing our Principal Towns to help our local areas thrive and build stronger, more connected communities.

The library will be closed from Wednesday 3 September to allow works to take place. The new-look space is expected to reopen in April 2026 – marking the library’s 60th anniversary.

The new library will include an enhanced children’s area, new furniture and shelving throughout and improved access to the Dransfield Collection, a significant local history resource for Penistone.

Once the works are complete, Penistone Library will also be home to a range of local services, including:

• I Know I Can (IKIC) youth provision
• Family Hub
• NHS Midwifery
• Children’s (0-19) public health nursing
• Penistone Area Council.

As with our previous library refurbishments, we’ll be offering extra support to those who need it during the closure. While Penistone Library is closed, a temporary library service will operate from Penistone Town Hall, Shrewsbury Road, in the original Carnegie Library building. Although smaller in size, the temporary service will offer books, public access computers and activities. The temporary library will open from Monday 8 September.

If you can’t get to any other library in the area, you can also join the Home Library Service for free and have books delivered to your doorstep.

Cllr Wendy Cain, Cabinet Spokesperson for Public Health and Communities, said: “We’re incredibly excited to be investing in Penistone Library and transforming it into a welcoming, modern hub for the whole community. By bringing together a wide range of services – from family support and youth provision to our Penistone Area Council – we’re creating a space in the heart of the community for our residents to get the support and services they need.”

The refurbishment of Penistone Library is part-funded by a grant from the UK Shared Prosperity Fund via the South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority.