TONBRIDGE’S main library will close on January 20 for three months to undergo a major refurbishment.
Kent County Council (KCC) is promising a ‘brighter, more modern facility’ on Avebury Avenue.
The interior will be redecorated with new shelving for books, chairs and desks for computers installed on the ground floor.
Exterior work will include cleaning the fascia and replacing some windows.
The High Street entrance will be re-opened to improve access and enhance the visitor experience.
Meanwhile opening hours will be extended at two other libraries, in Hildenborough and on York Parade.
Hildenborough will now be open on Tuesday mornings (though it closes at 5pm instead of 6pm) and all day on Wednesdays.
Tonbridge North Library will be open on Mondays and Wednesdays, as well as Friday afternoons (with an hour’s closure from 1-2pm).
Unlike the main library, neither will remain open until 8pm Thursdays or on Saturday afternoons.
KCC’s Cabinet Member for Community and Regulatory Services, Mike Hill, said: “This is great news for the people of Tonbridge who visit the main town library.
“I am delighted that these improvements are being made. They show KCC’s continuing commitment to the county’s library service.”
Extended hours at other libraries:
Tonbridge North
5 York Parade TN10 3NP
Monday to Friday: 9am-1pm; 2-6pm
Saturday: 9am-1pm
Sunday: Closed
Hildenborough
3 Riding Lane TN11 9HX
Monday: 12pm-5pm
Tuesday to Thursday: 9am-1pm; 2-5pm
Friday: Closed
Saturday: 9am-1pm
Sunday: Closed
