Shopping centre giant Westfield has terminated Warrawong Library's lease without warning, giving the library just one month to vacate its top-floor premises.The library has leased the space at Westfield Warrawong for 21 years but Wollongong City Council was told last week its lease would not be renewed and the library would need to be out by May 1.The library's six staff were told the news yesterday.The 700sqm library is used by 165,000 people each year, making it Wollongong's second busiest library after Wollongong Central Library.Westfield confirmed the space would be converted into a Trade Secret clothing and homewares store, selling brand name items at discounted prices. A Westfield spokeswoman said a departure date for the library, which pays only a peppercorn rent, was not yet confirmed."Westfield is working with the incoming retailer to negotiate as much time as possible for the library to find alternative premises," she said.Wollongong MP Noreen Hay said the library serviced those from lower socio-economic areas and non-English speaking backgrounds who would now be denied easy access to a council-provided resource. She called on Westfield management to reconsider its decision."Westfield should think about its obligations to give back to a community that provides them with loyal customers," Ms Hay said.The decision will force the council to find money to pay a "market rental" on a new site, in addition to relocation and fit-out costs. Senior council library staff said yesterday they were disappointed by Westfield's decision."We have been operating out of this space for 21 years and four weeks' notice to vacate is not enough," said the council's community, cultural and library services manager Jenny Thompson.The council's six-year lease on the Westfield premises expired in September, but branch libraries manager Jan Noble said the council initiated new lease negotiations in February 2009. At the end of September, the council was placed on a month-to-month lease and until last week, had received no correspondence from Westfield since October.Director of corporate and community services Illana Halliday said the unique needs of a library - easy access, parking, public transport, lighting, security and space - would make it very difficult to find a suitable site. The council is hoping for an extension of time so residents in the disadvantaged and low-income community are not left without a library."We won't be able to provide the same level of library service for a number of months," Ms Halliday said.Ms Thompson said the council was hopeful of finding a site in Warrawong, rather than moving to a less accessible suburb."We are working 24/7 to find a good location in Warrawong and make sure the transition is as seamless as possible," she said.The council has not yet decided whether to accept a short-term offer of a 70sqm shop in Westfield - just one-tenth of the size of the existing library.