A NEW spacious design at East Sheen Library received a positive response from both visitors and staff when it re-opened this week.
The work will be used as a prototype for a £1 million refurbishment programme given the go-ahead by Richmond upon Thames Council.
Over the next five years eleven other libraries - Hampton, Hampton Hill, Castelnau, Teddington, Hampton Wick, Heathfield, Ham, Richmond, Whitton, Kew and the Central Reference Library - will receive much the same make over.
The work will range from structural improvements and external maintenance to lighting upgrades and other internal refurbishment.
Twickenham Library is next in line for improvements, work is scheduled to start in the summer and be completed by late autumn.
In parallel with the refurbishment programme the book fund has been increased to allow for more book purchases to be made.
From April 12 five community libraries, Castelnau, Heathfield, Hampton Hill, Kew and Hampton Wick will open for an additional four hours on Tuesday afternoons and the Central Reference Library will open half an hour earlier, at 9.30am, six days a week.
Later in the year Teddington and East Sheen libraries will pilot Sunday opening.
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