VISITORS to Moredon and Rodbourne Cheney Library are being warned that the building will be shut for a major refurbishment this month.

The popular facility, off Moredon Road, will be closed for three weeks from Wednesday, January 26, to allow Swindon Council to undertake planned maintenance and repair works.

Coun Colin Lovell (Con, Moredon), who is also a member of the library, said: “The residents will be delighted with the refurbishment.

“It’s a very popular library and a well-used library and this will make the package of visiting the library much nicer.

“It will be much more up to date and a much nicer place to use. I think it just needed updating, all public buildings will sometimes need upgrading and it was Moredon and Rodbourne Cheney Library’s turn.

“We invest a lot of money in libraries as a council and this is part of it.”

Under the project, a number of changes will be made to improve the library, including the fitting of new self service machines, a payment kiosk and smaller counter.

The lobby will also be made smaller so that extra space is created in the main library area and this will accommodate two extra public access computers.

A new fire exit will also be installed at the rear of the building, disabled access will be improved and emergency lighting and an automatic fire detection and alarm system will be fitted.

Once all the repair work has been carried out, the library will be painted and new carpets fitted.

Mary Dawes, Swindon Council’s library strategic manager with responsibility for Moredon and Rodbourne Cheney Library, said: “We are very excited. There will be more space for activities and we will be increasing the number of computers for customers which is obviously a benefit.

“At the moment we have only got four computers which is quite limiting and this will enable us to have six so in the future we might be able to run small computer classes at Moredon.

“The books that are taken out at this library will not be due back during the closed period so that people will not be incurring fines because they cannot access Moredon library.

“But people can obviously phone any library if they are concerned and renew books and use any library as has always been the case.”

The nearest libraries are Pinehurst Library at The Circle and North Swindon Library at the Orbital Retail Park.

The library will reopen on Thursday, February 17, at 10am.

The Friends of Moredon and Rodbourne Cheney Library will hold an open day on the first day the library reopens.