CLEVEDON'S library will reopen its doors to the public next week following a four-month revamp. 

Guests to the library, on Old Church Road, will see improved facilities, self-service desks, upgraded toilets and a community meeting space, known as 'The Waverley Room'. 

A 16-week closure saw residents unable to access the much-loved space in town whilst it underwent extensive upgrades.

North Somerset Council says visitors will see a 'much-improved' library that caters to the elderly, infirm and disabled far better than it did previously. 

The library will open on Friday, October 14, at 9.30am. The date will also mark 30 years since it opened as a library in 1992. 

The building was once used as a school but is now one of the busiest libraries in North Somerset, with more than 63,000 visits a year.

The council's executive member for neighbourhoods and community services, Cllr Mike Solomon, said: "The re-opening of Clevedon Library is most definitely cause for celebration.

“The funding has enabled us to create a hub for community activity by making the building more accessible for all. Named ‘The Waverley’ room, this is a fitting tribute to the much-loved boat that used to call in at Clevedon Pier, an important part of local history.

“We’ve also been able to make the building more environmentally sustainable, helping to lower our carbon footprint on site. It’s already served the local community as a library for three decades and this investment secures its future for many more years to come.”

North Somerset Library Service was awarded a grant of £215,900 by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, delivered by Arts Council England, as part of the Libraries Improvement Fund (LIF).

This fund supports existing library services across England by upgrading buildings and technology, so they are better placed to respond to the changing ways people use libraries.

Other improvements included energy efficient lighting and heating.

Clevedon Library will open Monday, Tuesday and Friday from 9.30am to 5pm and on Saturday from 9.30am to 1pm.

Guests can also sign up to use the library for longer with extended access. This allows people to borrow books and use the computers from 8am to 8pm every day of the week, when there is no staff on site.

People are being encouraged to sign up for the system where they can attend a training session on how to use it.