Reading's New Library Opens After £8 Million Upgrade

Reading's all-new Central Library is open after an £8 million levelling-up upgrade the council secured.

The Central Library in the Reading Borough Council offices on Bridge Street holds more than 60,000 books and fresh IT and study facilities.

Book borrowing is self-service only from 9am to 10am; after that you can hire from staff or keep using the self-service points.

There's a dedicated IT study area with desktop PCs, printing and hireable Chromebooks and tablets.

The ground floor has a children's corner with tree fittings and artwork of birds, a fox and other local wildlife.

The centrepiece is the 'Once Upon a Time' story time chair.

The council said the current mayor, councillor Paul Gittings (Labour, Coley), will be using it for school visits and other appropriate engagements.

Children's book cabinets can be moved for events. There's also a teens area with study booths, bean bags, Reading Festival artwork and comics.

A projector screen at the rear of the ground floor will be used for council events.

Upstairs hosts the local history section with archived newspapers; Katie Amos, the local studies lead, was spotted at her desk during a preview.

Towards the rear of the first floor is the Holybrook Room, a hireable meeting space and a town centre teaching area for the New Directions adult learning college.

The library has retained a UK Visas and Immigration Service Point, signposted on the ground floor and located upstairs.

Step-free access to the first floor is via a public lift to the right as you enter the civic offices building.

The library opened on Thursday 18 June. Opening times are 9am-5pm Mondays and Fridays, 9am-7pm Tuesdays and Thursdays, and 10am-3pm Saturdays. It is closed on Wednesdays and Sundays.

James Aldridge, Local Democracy Reporter