Waterbeach Library

27/09/2026

for those outside the delivery area, here is our update as published in the Beach News this week.

While the library sadly remains closed with the contents in storage, the volunteers have been working with Waterbeach Parish Council and South Cambridgeshire District Council on a possible temporary location. At the time of writing, unfortunately the necessary contracts and funding are not yet in place.
The volunteers are continuing to meet regularly and are doing everything we can to restart providing the service to the community. Waterbeach Library needs substantial capital investment and local support to reopen in a permanent new building. The volunteers are hoping to work with local councillors and the school on a funding bid and considering various options such as forming a charitable incorporated organisation to allow us to apply to funding bodies ourselves. If you have expertise in this area or would like to get involved, please contact us.
Thank you to all those who came to see our stall at the Feast to express your support, and shared what the library has meant to you. The Summer at the Beach project created a fantastic bookworm display in the parade and it was good to see so many people marking the loss of the library as a community asset and supporting its future return.
In the meantime, the Cambridgeshire Mobile Library is at the Green every third Monday of the month, from 9.30 to 10.45. We continue to press for an after-school slot to be offered. The nearest libraries you can get to by public transport are Milton Road, Cambridge (PR5 bus), the Central Library in Cambridge (PR5 or 100 bus) or Ely (train).
Please follow Waterbeach Library on Facebook for further updates or contact the volunteers at [email protected].

01/07/2026

Very sadly we remain closed and are not able to run the Summer Reading Challenge this year, but children can sign up from 4 July at other Cambridgeshire libraries. The nearest libraries you can get to by public transport are Milton Road, Cambridge (PR5 bus), the Central Library in Cambridge (PR5 or 100 bus) or Ely (train).

1. Sign up Click ‘Join now’ to create your account. 2. Read books Set your own goal and read anything you like. Add your books to your profile, with a review! 3. Earn digital rewards Unlock special online badges and a certificate when you reach your Challenge goal!* *Physical rewards like medals...

08/06/2026

A big thank you to SUMMER AT THE BEACH for the brilliant bookwurm float, drawing attention to the loss of the library. And thanks to everyone who came to see us at the Feast and signed the petition! Photo by Susan Danielis

06/06/2026

Undeterred by the weather, our stall is all set up, make sure you stop by and show your support for the return of Waterbeach Library!

03/06/2026

Only 3 more sleeps! Come and see us at Waterbeach Feast and sign the petitions to save not one but two vital local amernities - the LIBRARY and the STATION! Chat to our friendly volunteers and share what the library has meant to you and your families.
Photo by Manuel Hoster on Unsplash

01/06/2026

Come and see us on Saturday at WATERBEACH FEAST! We may not have a building, but we have not gone away! Come and say hello to our friendly volunteers and find out what YOU can do to help make the case for the return of a permanent library in the village *and keep an eye out for a very special float in the parade...*

17/05/2026

For those who live outside the delivery area, here is our update from the latest Beach News - many thanks to the new editorial team for a great job on the production.

The library sadly closed on Saturday 21 February as its building will shortly be demolished and no alternative has been found. All the books and furniture are currently in storage until such time as we are able to reopen. BBC Look East and BBC Radio Cambridgeshire, the Cambridge News, Cambridge Independent and Cambridge independent radio all covered the closure.
The messages of support we have received from library users and the wider community have been fantastic, and several members came to help us pack up the books in the final days. We know how much this library has meant to people across the generations.
Many of you have already contacted local representatives, but every letter to Parish, District and County councillors or the MP helps make our case for the return of the library to the village.
Libraries have been closing all over the country due to local government funding cuts, with some 800 libraries lost since 2010. The County Council already withdrew from running Waterbeach Library over twenty years ago, but thanks to a large team of volunteers it has been run very successfully – with support from Waterbeach Parish Council – until this year.
Thanks to its location at the school and initiatives like the Summer Reading Challenge, Waterbeach Library supported children’s learning and literacy at a time when reading is on the decline. It also offered a local service for adults to borrow books and access the internet and printing services.
The volunteers are continuing to meet regularly and are doing everything we can to restart the service to the community. We are negotiating about a possible location where we could run a temporary library service, but at the time of writing, we are unable to confirm whether this will go ahead.
The nearest libraries you can get to by public transport are Milton Road, Cambridge (PR5 bus), the Central Library in Cambridge (PR5 or 100 bus) or Ely (train). Any new library at the new town is years away. Our numbers – 14,000 books per year borrowed by over 1300 members – show how important having a local library has been to Waterbeach.
Waterbeach Library now needs substantial capital investment to reopen in a permanent new building. The volunteers are hoping to work with local councillors and the school on a funding bid.
In the meantime, Cambridgeshire Mobile Libraries will be at the Green every third Monday of each month, from 9.30 to 10.45. The next visit will be 18 May. They hope to introduce an after-school slot as soon as possible.
Please follow Waterbeach Library on Facebook for further updates and come and visit our stall at the Feast to find out how you can help.

01/04/2026

The Cambridgeshire mobile library is going to start visiting Waterbeach on the 3rd Monday of each month, starting on 20 April.
They will park near The Green from 9.30 to 10.45.
As well as a great selection of books they offer the following services:
- return books from any library (including any Waterbeach stock)
- borrow books for 5 weeks
- reserve books to collect from the mobile library
- If you have an NHS hearing aid, you can pick up hearing aid batteries
- If you use a walking aid, they can change your ferrules* free of charge (*the little rubber stopper on the end of your stick)
- If you or someone you know are struggling with increasing food costs, you can collect a FREE Dinnerize kit. They contain everything you need to make a family meal and have been donated by the Re-Imagine resource centre
- Thanks to the National Databank they are able to issue free SIM cards to anyone over the age of 18 who is on a low income.

Do support this service which is being offered while we are closed. For any questions, please contact the mobile libraries service directly at [email protected] or follow Cam MobileLibraries

07/03/2026

A very sad day today as the Library's books and furniture were removed to be stored by Selected Removals and Storage. Well done to all the volunteers and library users who packed last weekend - here's a look at the dismantled library :( we are still hopeful that a temporary solution will be found and will let you know when we can... video by Toby Tyler