REDDITCH library will find out in a few weeks if it is to receive money needed to improve many areas of the building, writes Helen Clarke.

Numerous inspections carried out by Worcestershire County Council at libraries around the county revealed many of them needed additional money for improvements.

At Redditch, problems listed included the entrance and foyer needing refurbishment, carpeting and lighting, more windows required, the need for CCTV for security and the inadequate size of the children's library.

The report also said the whole library needed brightening up and furniture was showing its age.

Library manager Charles Johnson said: We agree with this, the carpets do need cleaning or replacing and we would like to have CCTV.

And for the size of the Redditch community, our children's library is most definitely too small.

Hopefully we will get the money we need to carry out these improvements to make the library even better for the people of Redditch.

Tim Porter, head of Cultural Services for the county council said: This is an extremely big process as many libraries across the county need work carried out on them.

The whole budget for the county council will not be decided before at least February.

We have asked for additional money for libraries and we will find out if we have been successful when the entire county budget is decided in the next five weeks or so.

Wythall Library was also assessed and it was found that although asbestos ceiling tiles had been removed from public areas they had not been removed from staff areas.

It was also decided that external redecoration was needed and softening and modernisation would improve the library generally.