Sandwell mayor opens revamped library at school
Pupils dressed the part to celebrate the official reopening of their library building following a refurbishment costing about £16,000.
Sandwell Mayor Mushtaq Hussain cut a ribbon to declare the building at Causeway Green Primary School in Oldbury open before meeting members of the school council and touring the library with headteacher Julia Shingler.
Thousands of pounds have been spent on replacing books for the building that has been refurbished in a way that "brings the outside indoors" with new furniture, plants and decoration.
Amanda Crump, business manager at the school which has 450 pupils aged between three and 11 years old, said: "We are really delighted by what has been achieved.
"We wanted to celebrate the official opening and invited the children to wear their party clothes.
"The refurbishment has led to a complete transformation of the building and we have brought the outdoors indoors through the plants and the decoration.
"The old shelving, which had become tired and which were in a state of collapse, have been recycled as we are environmentally-friendly.
"Refurbishment of the building cost more than £5,000 and we have literally spent about £11,000 on books which was paid for from school funds and through the Oldbury Charity Trust.
"The refurbishment took about three months to complete and there is a full range of books covering almost every subject and ethnicity now on the shelves.
"It is something that will give the children a new outlook on reading which is something we encourage.
"They will now be able to sit comfortably on seating and bean bags and enjoy the experience.
"Many of the books that were once on the shelves dated back as far as the 70s and these have been offered and recycled to parents.
"We plan to invite parents to tour the building and see what has been done at a later date after the children have settled into their new surroundings."
