A new look on the way for Gosport Discovery Centre
Thursday, 14 February 2013
Improvement work has begun at Gosport Discovery Centre which will see refurbishment of the building and the installation of self-service machines to free up staff to help customers with their enquiries.
The main building is now closed to the public until Tuesday 2 April 2013 but during the work, the Local & Naval Studies Centre, in the High Street, Gosport, will remain open for an extra six hours a week from 9am to 7pm from Monday to Friday, 9am to 4.30 pm on Saturdays. During that time, staff will continue to be available to help customers return their books, deal with general enquiries and book events and courses.
In addition, Elson Library in Chantry Road, Gosport will open on Saturday afternoons and all day on Wednesday, offering an alternative service for Gosport Discovery Centre users during the closure period.
The Hampshire County Council Registration Service, which is usually based in the Discovery Centre, will also temporarily relocate to the Gosport Voluntary Action Office in nearby Pavilion Way, while work continues.
Although a post office will not be part of Gosport Discovery Centre when it re-opens, plans that could see a post office operating from Gosport Discovery Centre in the future continue to be progressed. The County Council would like to offer a positive solution to local residents, and it is continuing its discussions with the Post Office to help provide local people with an offer that meets their needs. Before any move could take place, the Post Office would first wish to consult with residents to ensure the proposals meet their expectations.
Councillor Keith Chapman, Hampshire County Council's Executive Member for Culture and Recreation, said: "Gosport Discovery Centre is central to the Gosport community and is having a deserved facelift. More people are borrowing fiction than non-fiction so to reflect that, the fiction section will be expanded. The children's library will also be extended and moved from the ground floor to the first floor, and flooring that has also become worn will be replaced.
"Self-service machines are in place in a number of other libraries and Discovery Centres around Hampshire and in addition to being quick and easy-to-use, they help to free up staff to serve customers, and help organise the raft of other events and activities on offer in the Discovery Centre."
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