NEW books have been added to a popular Hampshire library, as the county council splashes the cash on new stock.

Winchester Discovery Centre is set to receive £30,000-worth of new stock, as well as a resorting of the library’s layout.

Hampshire County Council says it comes after feedback from users who said they found it hard to find the most popular items on offer.

As well as this, the café will now be kitted with an array of easily-accessible books and publications, so that people can pick up a newspaper, magazine or a book to enjoy with their drink.

Member for recreation and heritage, Councillor Seán Woodward, said: “Our strategic investment in all of our libraries continues at pace, making sure that we have a good stock of the books that our customers are asking for, as well as running refurbishments and modernisations, to make libraries fresh and versatile and equipped with the latest technologies for everyone to use and enjoy.

“The new stock at Winchester Discovery Centre will be available in a range of formats so that customers can continue to access a fantastic range of literature in various formats, for learning and enjoyment, all for free.”

Hampshire Library Service carries out regular stock reviews of fiction and non-fiction items so that customers can access books and resources which are in date, in good condition and being frequently used. Where items are in poor condition or are rarely loaned, they are removed from shelves to make space for items that customers use more frequently.

Books that have been removed are either taken out of stock, or if in a good state, moved to a new location. Many reference titles are now available online, in their most recent editions.

Cllr Woodward continued: “We continue to get really positive feedback from customers about our library service and the improvements we make, reaffirming that Hampshire libraries remain at the heart of local communities.”