Library gets £1.5m lottery grant

A Berkshire library is to be completely upgraded after winning nearly £1.5m of lottery funding.

The Battle Library in Oxford Road, Reading, won £1,469,808 from the National Lottery to turn the facility into a "focal point for the community".

Baby clinics, a breastfeeding centre, a new cafe, a community art gallery space and a play area for youngsters will all be created from the funds.

A community garden will also be created as well as a children's library area.

Wood chips

There will be more space for community events and meetings, a Reading Borough Council spokesperson said.

Councillor Paul Gittings added: "More than 45,000 people in the area will benefit from these new and improved library services and these are very exciting times."

Battle Library, which was constructed in 1907, will also use a "greener" form of heating system using wood chips.

Work is due to start later this year, with completion expected in 2010.