Busy library reopens with a buzz after revamp

Workers at a city's library were met with a round of applause when the building reopened for the first time following a major £1.3m refurbishment to mark its 25th year.

The Norfolk and Norwich Millennium Library closed in April and was stripped back.

Visitors queued outside The Forum building, where it is based, ready for the reopening at 10:00 BST.

Kerry Murray, head of libraries operations for Norfolk County Council, said: "The crowd waiting for us to open our doors and applauding when we opened says it all — people have missed it... the whole library is a buzz."

One of the biggest priorities has been increasing accessibility throughout the library and reducing the height of the bookshelves.

Speaking to Kayleigh Poacher on BBC Radio Norfolk, Murray explained that the shelving was "really old" and had been moved to comply with social distancing during the Covid-19 lockdowns.

"We need to keep up with the times and, what we have done, I hope will keep us sustainable into the future."

A pop-up temporary space was opened for people to still borrow and return items during the improvement work.

Susan Debbage, from Norwich, noticed the new shelves immediately.

"This seems lovely," she said.

Jane Richardson, 69, from Norwich, said the new library felt more open and brighter and had a "nice feel when you walk in".

Improvements have also been made to the children's areas on the ground floor.

For Beth Southard, the children's and young people manager for Norfolk County Council, the opening has come just in time for the summer.

"This is what we live for," she said.

"Seeing all the families sitting together, sharing books, being excited over all the new books we've been hoarding for months, wanting to share."

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