The Windsor Public Library closed its last chapter at the Paul Martin Building downtown on Saturday. Services at the Central Branch will pause until a new location opens at 400 City Hall Square on Sept. 24. CTV News stopped by to speak with regular visitors about their library use and the impending changes. A reuglar user, Sridevi Thiagarajan, said she uses the library for online services or to borrow some books. “I wouldn’t mind it moving to another area because I think it’s still accessible for me,” Thiagarajan said standing outside the central branch. For Donald Leung, it’s quite the opposite. Leung, who regularly makes trips to the library to check out DVDs, magazines, cookbooks, comic books and good reads, fears the new site will feature a much smaller selection. “The new one at City Hall seems really small in comparison. I wish they could maybe rent somewhere else,” he told CTV News. The library move will again be temporary as the city continues to search for a permanent space. “I hope this is just temporary for a few months, because I think that the library should be located more centrally downtown in like a business or residential area aside from City Hall,” Leung added. Though the library was expected to remain at 185 Ouellette Avenue until early 2028, work is underway to transform the building into a boutique hotel. The developer behind the project agreed to end the city’s lease for the library space early as construction continues. Another library user who asked not to share their name said they were “not impressed” with the decision to move the facility. “I feel like this is very convenient for many of us, especially me,” they said. “Because almost every evening I come here to relax after I grab a cup of coffee from a Tim Hortons or a 7-Eleven.” Over the coming days, staff will move collections, equipment and furniture to the new location. During the relocation, residents can continue to access WPL services through the city’s other nine branches. Branches are open Mondays and Wednesdays from noon to 8 p.m., and from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on all other days.
