Old Swansea Central Library

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The old Swansea Central Library was a lending and reference library located in the heart of the city of Swansea, south Wales. One of the most notable architectural features of the library building is the circular reading room of the reference library.

The library was opened in 1887 by prime minister William Ewart Gladstone. The area where the library is located was originally a housing area and many residential buildings were flattened to make way for the new development. The library was closed in November 2007. Swansea Metropolitan University's strategic plan for 2007 states that "detailed discussions are taking place with the City & County of Swansea with a view to the Institute acquiring the Old Central Library building in Alexandra Road".^[1]

After its closure, the interior of the library building including the domed reading room was used by BBC Wales for some of the location shots in the Doctor Who episodes, Silence in the Library and Forest of the Dead.

The new central library for Swansea is located in the Civic Centre. It opened on March 2008 and includes a family history centre and the West Glamorgan archives service.