BOLTON Library is to be revamped to return it to the splendour of the 1930s.
A £160,000 rennovation will revamp features such as original lighting and pillars and recreate the original stone floor. Areas of the entrance foyer to the library at Le Mans Crescent will be revealed to the public for the first time in up to 20 years.
The building is being taken back to its original clean-lined 1930s design by uncovering areas of the atrium that have been hidden away as part of the staff areas. There will also be a few modern touches.
Marguerite Gracey, strategic change manager at Bolton Library, said visitors would be greeted by a spectacular oval room when the work is completed at the end of May.
She said: "This is a wonderful room that has been covered up for too long and we hope it will become a space that can be enjoyed by all users of the library."
Careful restoration is also being carried out to the floor which was created by stone masons in the 1930s who were so keen to protect their trade secrets they laid it behind screens.
Not only will the building be rediscovering its stunning 1930s' features in the main atrium, a major refurbishment of the cyber centre is also underway.
Ironically, the back-to-the-past changes are part of plans to ensure that the Central Library is brought up-to-date for the 21st Century.
The newly cleared atrium will be used to provide 'quick choice' books and audio-visual materials, 'quick returns' and internet access with the vastly improved cyber centre providing increased space and more computers for people to use. The changes will also enable a re-organisation of the main body of the library to increase the range of stock on display
Cllr Martyn Cox, Bolton Council's executive member for Culture, said: "The atrium will become the welcoming space it should always have been; a space where people can meet and where they can drop in to choose their next read, their next DVD or to check their personal e-mails.
"Add to this the improvements taking place within the main library, including those at the cyber centre and the future for Central Library really looks bright."
The library will remain open throughout the building work, and staff will aim to minimise disruption as best they can.
Work is scheduled to be completed in two phases. Phase 1 - the Atrium - should be finished by the end of May and Phase 2 - the new counter and layout in the main part of the library - should be completed by the end of June.
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