 The Dickens Centre will be the new home for Rochester Library |
People living in the Medway area of Kent are being asked for their views on what sort of public library services they would like to see. Medway Council is carrying out the public consultation as part of its plans to relocate Rochester Library.
The library will be moved to the Charles Dickens Centre, a museum dedicated to the author which is closing on 31 October.
Future plans for the building also include a literary and writing centre.
Telephone consultation
The Dickens Centre is located in Eastgate House, which during the novelist's lifetime, was a boarding school for young ladies.
Medway Council's cabinet agreed to close the centre last month following a steady decline in visitor numbers.
The Swiss chalet, which stands in the gardens of Eastgate House, will remain, keeping the strong Dickensian connections with Medway.
Work on the new library will start immediately after the closure of the Dickens Centre.
As part of the council's plans, 2,000 questionnaires are being sent out to local residents and interested groups, while a telephone consultation is also planned.
A three-day exhibition of the plans is being held in Rochester next week, along with a public meeting.
One-Minute World News 
News services
E-mail this to a friend 
Printable version 
