Soham Library, a Cambridgeshire County Council library, has joined a pilot scheme that offers residents extended access to services. 

The library is adding 20 more hours a week of access to their current opening times with early mornings (from 8am Monday-Friday) and Sunday openings introduced, alongside more consistent full-day access. 

The inclusion of Soham Library, as well as March and Rock Road Cambridge libraries, brings the number of libraries participating in the Open+ pilot scheme to five. 

The scheme was first trialled at the libraries in Histon and St Ives, which have now been successfully offering extended opening hours through Open+ for some time. 

Open+ allows residents to access certain library services at specific times outside of usual staffed hours, including:  

  • Access to free Wi-Fi  
  • Access to the full range of library loan stock, with self-service borrowing and returns  
  • Access to PCs, printers and photocopiers  
  • Comfortable study and leisure spaces  
  • Meeting room hire  

 

Open+ is a way to improve library access and help make sure that buildings are being well used.  

  

Chair of Cambridgeshire County Council’s communities, social mobility and inclusion committee, Cllr Tom Sanderson, said: “I am delighted that more libraries will be joining the Open+ scheme which has already proved so effective at the libraries in Histon and St Ives.  

 

“As a council, we are committed to making Cambridgeshire a fairer and more caring place and Open+ delivers on those objectives.” 

 

Anyone with full library membership over the age of 16 can register to use Open+. Just speak to a member of staff at any Open+ library during staffed hours. They’ll take you through a simple registration process and short induction session to help you access the library outside of its normal hours. 

You can watch a video on using Open+ facilities here: Open+ out of hours library access - Cambridgeshire County Council