THE opening date for Wokingham Library has been confirmed.
The new facility, relocating from its current home on Denmark Street, will open its doors at Carnival Hub on Monday, September 19, at 1.30pm.
Spaces for browsing books and resources will remain along with access to computers and a children’s area with lots of seating.
There will also be space for exhibitions and larger meetings rooms which can be combined into one big space for events.
Cllr Sarah Kerr, executive member for climate emergency and resident services, said: “We’re really pleased to be opening this new library space.
“It’s been designed to create a much more user friendly and accessible space for everyone whilst still retaining the great services we know people love to use.
“We spent a lot of time asking people what they wanted to see from the new library and are confident that people will love what they find when they come along to visit.”
For people looking to study, there will be options for space to work on group projects as well as individual booths for those wanting privacy.
The council believes the new library offers improved accessibility with all facilities on one floor and access to improved disabled toilets within the site.
In order to facilitate the move, the existing Denmark Street library will close on Saturday, September 3, at 4PM.
This will allow the council to start the process of packing up more than one kilometre of shelving.
During the fortnight Wokingham Library is closed, members will be able to use other libraries across the borough, as well as ongoing access to digital services.
After the opening date, Wokingham Library at Carnival Hub will revert to the usual opening hours of Monday and Tuesday’s 9.30am to 5pm, Wednesday 9.30am to 4pm, Thursdays 9.30am to 7pm, Fridays 9.30am to 5pm and Saturdays 9.30am to 4pm.
The library remains closed on a Sunday, although opening hours are being kept under review to assess whether moving has an impact on visitor patterns.
No decisions have been made about the future of the Denmark Street site at this stage and the council will be considering a number of options over the coming months.
Any options for the building will include consideration of the future location of the Water Babies statue and the council has said it will work with partners and stakeholders on any decisions about the statue.
For more information about libraries in the borough, visit: wokingham.gov.uk/libraries
