Newbury Library re-opens following refurbishment

£30,000 project completed during Christmas break

Newbury Library re-opened yesterday (Wednesday, January 2) following a two-week closure for refurbishment.

The £30,000 refurbishment project included public areas across two floors re-carpeted and re-decorated.

Staff, volunteers and contractors carried out the refurbishment over the Christmas break and made sure it was ready to open again in the New Year.

Speaking about the refurbishment, executive member for culture Rick Jones (Con, Purley-on-Thames) said: “We’ve had a staggering number of people visit the library since it opened almost 20 years ago.

"This refurbishment will ensure that Newbury continues to have a library residents can enjoy and be proud of in the years to come.

“The library has seen a number of changes over the years and it is no longer simply a place where people borrow books.

"There has been a significant expansion of digital services including self-service kiosks, an increasing number of online resources and apps for borrowing e-books and e-magazines.

"Together with free computer use, wifi, family history research and other local information there is a lot on offer for local people.”

To find out more about West Berkshire’s libraries – including how to borrow e-books – visit www.wesberks.gov.uk/libraries