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GI Library Summer Reading

04/09/2026
Sep 4 Friday
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THEN & NOW | A little bit about The GI If you’re THEN & NOW | A little bit about The GI 

If you’re new to The GI, hello and welcome to our Insta page👋

We thought we’d share a little bit about where we’ve come from, what we’re about and why our building means so much to us. And, as you’ll discover, there’s quite a lot of interesting history!

The GI was founded in 1834 as the Guildford Mechanics Institute, with the aim of providing opportunities for people to learn, develop their skills and broaden their knowledge.

In 1891, we moved to our current home in Ward Street, where we’ve been part of Guildford ever since.

While the things we offer have changed over the years, the idea behind The GI remains much the same.

We believe in bringing people together, encouraging learning and making space for community life.

Today, that means:
📚 Courses, talks and workshops
🎶 Music and cultural events
🤝 Community groups and activities
💚 Wellbeing and support
📖 Our Library & Archive
🏛️ Spaces for people to meet, learn and connect

And then there’s the building itself…
The pink building! 🩷

Our Grade II listed home has been a place for people to gather for more than 130 years. It’s an important part of Guildford’s history, but it’s also very much part of Guildford today.

And that’s why the building matters.

It gives us a permanent place in the heart of Guildford- somewhere people can come together, learn something new, meet others and be part of their community.
Our history is important, but so is what happens here today.

The GI is a place for people  and it has been for generations.

Want to know a little more? Head over to our website to discover more about our history, our building and some interesting facts about The GI.

👉 Click the link in our bio.

#GuildfordInstitute #Guildford #ThenAndNow #GuildfordHistory #LocalHistory #Heritage #GuildfordCommunity #TheGI
The GI Library is Back Open This Thursday!!! All The GI Library is Back Open This Thursday!!!

All our volunteers are amazing at The GI, and that most certainly includes our wonderful library volunteers.

Before the library doors reopen after the summer break, it’s lovely to see some of our volunteers catching up with their own summer reading. 📚☀️

Especially as some of them have also been busy helping with library maintenance and other work behind the scenes during the break!

There’s plenty to look forward to… 

📚 Coming soon: our historic library blog series
Look out for a series of blog articles about our historic library, written by one of our library volunteers. They offer a wonderful insight into different aspects of our library and archives, while also sharing some of our volunteers’ own reading recommendations. 📖

🏛️ Heritage Open Days
Our library is also taking part in this year’s Heritage Open Days festival, with our event beginning on 11 September and running throughout the festival.
We’d love to welcome you and share a little more about this very special place and its history.

New to The GI?
Why not discover more about our treasured historic library and its fascinating history? It really is a very special place, made even more special by the people who care for it. 👉Click the link in our bio and head over to our website. You'll find information about our opening times too.

We can’t wait to welcome our library community back through the doors this Thursday!! We’ve missed you over the summer. 📚✨

Will you be joining us when the library reopens?
Good Times Incoming… Our fabulous V-Café is back Good Times Incoming… 

Our fabulous V-Café is back this Friday, 4th September! 

Welcome back to Nick and the team- we’ve missed you! Hope you’ve had a lovely summer break.

We’ve definitely missed the V-Café, especially all the delicious vegetarian and vegan yummies on the menu!

And as for our first order… well, it would be rude not to have the cheesecake, wouldn’t it? 😂🍰

Whose up for lunch on Friday then?!

If you’re planning a visit, it’s worth booking your table in advance: click the link in our bio.

See you Friday!

#VCafe #VegetarianCafe #VeganCafe #VegetarianFood #VeganFood #PlantBased #LunchPlans #Cheesecake #CafeLife #SupportLocal #LocalCafe #GoodTimesIncoming
Hello September! 🍂 Good afternoon, just a little Hello September! 🍂 

Good afternoon, just a little update from The GI! 

There’s a lot happening at The GI this month- far more than we could possibly squeeze into a 50-second reel!  Talks, courses, visits, workshops, live music and special events… September is looking pretty full, interesting and fun. 

 So here’s just a little glimpse of what’s coming up. Have a watch, and for the full programme, head over to our website to discover more! 
Click the link in our bio 😊

#HelloSeptember #TheGI #WhatsOn #SeptemberEvents #ThingsToDo #Events #TalksAndWorkshops #LiveMusic #LocalEvents #CommunityEvents #GetInvolved #SupportLocal #DiscoverMore #AutumnAtTheGI

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Opening Times

The Institute is open Monday to Friday, 9am – 5pm, with evening and weekend services available.

How to Find Us 

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Ward Street, Guildford GU1 4LH
t 01483 562142
e info@guildford-institute.org.uk

Winner of the Community Award at Experience Guildford Business Awards 2025

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