BOOKWORMS at a dated library are about to enter the 21st century now that an ambitious scheme to make it user friendly has won support.

The 380,000 yearly visitors to Victorian-built Chiswick Library will witness a thorough makeover after councillors backed plans laid out in Hounslow Council's strategic library review to improve the area's facilities.

Although its elegant red brick facade will look the same after the intensive preservation and renovation work inside, the Dukes Avenue library will meet the disability discrimination act's accessibility regulations for the first time.

And while emphasis will be on economy, modern energy saving technology and up-to-date cables and electrical equipment for computer terminals will be introduced, while its four floors are also expected to be demolished to make way for an 18,000 square foot open plan public space on a single floor.

Councillors are yet to hear the views of residents, who will be asked to contribute to a consultation in coming weeks, but an outline planning application is to go to members of the Chiswick area committee next month.

Backing the project, Cllr Ron Bartholomew, executive member for cultural services, said: "Chiswick Library is one of the best used libraries in the area and we are confident that this proposal could preserve the best of the current library as well as giving residents the state-of-the-art service they need. The building just wasn't designed as a modern library."

By.Abi Dornan