LIBRARY users have given their approval after a community facility began a new chapter with a £720,000 facelift.
Bingham Library has been brought into the 21st century with a refurbishment from Nottinghamshire County Council.
The building, in Eaton Place, originates from the 1970s and had become dated.
But thanks to the county council, it has been given a fresh new look with new book stock, furniture and shelving and more space.
A range of fun family events was held on Saturday to celebrate the return of the library, which had closed for seven months while it was modernised.
In a first for the county, the library has become a health hub, with a collection of health-related materials, in a partnership with the local NHS which council chiefs are hailing as "ground-breaking".
For the first time, there is a public toilet, whereas previously, visitors had to use facilities nearby or parents could take their children to use the staff toilet.
The local children's centre has also moved into the building, from its previous home in Market Place, bringing a range of family services with it.
Andrea Lowe, team manager for Rushcliffe Libraries, said the library had had around 2,000 visitors within the first two days of its relaunch.
She added: "I'm delighted with it. I think from a library point of view it's just the sheer sense of space and light. It looks much better, lighter and much more appealing and I think the layout looks great.
"It looks modern, and fit-for-purpose."
Peter Gaw, the county council's group manager of libraries, said the previous building needed bringing up to date.
He said amalgamating the children's centre into the new facility would save money in the long-term.
"It's part of our commitment to modernising libraries," he added.
"As a service we have got really good experience of new buildings and refurbishing libraries and every time we do a new one we take the learning through - there's always something we do slightly differently and slightly better, such as the health hub.
"I would say it's ground-breaking."
Bingham Health Centre has moved to an adjoining building and is now the children's centre area.
Activities on Saturday including children's craft sessions and a performance of The Brothers Grimm stories by the Babbling Vagabonds Theatre Company saw old and new visitors flock back to the library, which was formally opened by county council chairman Councillor Pauline Allan.
The Post spoke to some impressed library users.
Charmaine Johnson, 37, a part-time teacher from Bingham who was with her children Harry, six, Emily, four and seven-week-old Noah, said: "I'm really impressed with it. There's certainly lots of space and I love the big kids' area."
Bingham mother-of-three Becky Bedson, 36, who is a project administrator, said: "I like the new layout. It's fresh, bright and modern."
Mother-of-two and childminder Hannah Webster, 37, of Bingham added: "We've missed the library. This is fantastic, it's really, really good."
