Dulwich Library was due back in September. Southwark now says 'autumn 2026' and has no date. Where to borrow meanwhile, with the longer hours at three branches.

Dulwich Library will not reopen this month. The library on Lordship Lane has been shut for a refurbishment that Southwark Council said would finish in September 2026. With two days of September left, the council has not published a reopening date.

Southwark’s own pages now give two different answers. Its closure notice, dated 28 October 2025, still says the library “is due to re-open in September 2026”. The banner across its libraries pages now says Dulwich Library “is closed for refurbishment until autumn 2026”. Neither gives a day.

The library catalogue’s service announcement, on Southwark Libraries’ online catalogue, also still lists the branch as closed. We found no council statement explaining the change.

What the refurbishment includes

The council says the work is meant to make the building greener and fully accessible. Its closure notice lists:

  • full redecoration, with new flooring and furniture
  • upgraded heating and cooling systems
  • a refreshed children’s library
  • a new dedicated teenage zone
  • a new study and IT room
  • a brighter, more flexible hall for events

The teenage zone was shaped by a young people’s consultation the council ran on its engagement site from May to the end of August 2024.

Where to go instead

Three nearby libraries have had longer hours while Dulwich is shut. The council’s pages for each still show the extended times.

Opening hours at the libraries covering for Dulwich Library
LibraryMonday to FridaySaturday
Grove Vale, East Dulwich10am to 7pm10am to 5pm
Nunhead10am to 7pm10am to 5pm
KingswoodMon 2pm to 6pm, Tue 10am to 6pm, Wed closed, Thu 2pm to 6pm, Fri 10am to 2pm10am to 5pm

All three are closed on Sundays. Grove Vale is the closest for most of East Dulwich. It runs Rhymetime for under-fives on Monday and Thursday mornings in term time. Nunhead runs Rhymetime on Tuesdays and Fridays, plus a Saturday craft club and a games club.

Renewals and reservations can be made online through the council’s libraries pages.

What it means for you

  • Do not plan on Dulwich Library this week or next. No reopening date has been published.
  • Use Grove Vale or Nunhead for evening visits. Both stay open to 7pm on weekdays.
  • Kingswood keeps shorter, irregular hours. It is closed all day Wednesday.
  • Watch for the date. When the council sets it, we will report it, along with what the finished building offers.

For other things to do locally while the library is shut, see our guide to things to do in Dulwich.

Sources