Wellingborough Library in Wellingborough, North Northamptonshire is now offering a quieter hour every Saturday morning to help visitors who prefer a calmer environment. This session takes place from 9:00 am to 10:00 am to support people with sensory needs, such as those on the autism spectrum or living with dementia, as well as parents and carers with young children.
During this time, staff at Wellingborough Library work to keep noise levels low by pausing events, and may silence self‑service machines or computer alerts where appropriate. The measure is part of guidance from North Northamptonshire Council to make public spaces more accessible and to ensure everyone in the community can use library services without feeling overwhelmed.
These changes form part of North Northamptonshire Council’s dementia‑ and autism‑friendly library work, which includes Social Stories and other accessibility measures. Similar quieter‑hour sessions have been introduced at other local libraries, including Corby and Kettering (and elsewhere in the county).
The library, located on Pebble Lane and listed in the Wellingborough Town Council business directory, remains open for its usual services during these hours. Visitors are asked to respect the quieter atmosphere until 10:00 am, after which the building returns to its standard Saturday operations.
About this article: This story was put together with the help of AI tools and checked by a real person on our team. We're a small crew trying to cover as much of the UK as we can on a limited budget. We're getting better every day - but we're not perfect yet. If something looks off, let us know. You're part of the process.
