Portishead Library

What it’s like

A local library with proper extended opening hours.

This one's got a trick up its sleeve that a lot of libraries don't bother with: extended access. Staffed hours are the usual sort of thing, Tuesday and Wednesday 9 to 5, Thursday from 10, a shorter Saturday morning session finishing at 1. But if you use your library card to get in, you can turn up outside those times too, including 8am to 8pm on Sundays and Mondays, and early mornings or evenings the rest of the week.

That's handy if your week's a scramble and the only slot you've got for a browse and a book swap is a Sunday afternoon or before work on a Tuesday. There's no staff on the desk during those extended hours, so don't expect help finding something, just quiet access to the shelves.

There's wifi if you need to get something done while they're picking out picture books, and toilets on site, which matters more than people admit when you've got a small child and a library visit that runs long. There's also food available on site, useful if a trip to the library needs to double as a snack stop to get everyone through the door without a fuss.

It suits a quick in-and-out for board books and a browse rather than a big day out, but the extended hours make it easy to fit around nap times, school runs or whatever else the week throws at you.

Facilities

Plan your visit

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