THE historic Picton Reading Room in Liverpool library is to be restored after winning a £16m government grant. The imposing columns and dome of the 153-year-old building will undergo extensive repair work for the first time. Once completed, rare books and the seven miles of archives, including letters from Queen Victoria, Disraeli and Florence Nightingale, will go on display to the public. The money comes on top of £31.5m announced last year to rebuild and renovate the library. Plans for a new entrance and archive centre and space for 250 public computers are part of the project. Once completed, the Central Library will become one of the key buildings in the city's World Heritage site, with visitor numbers expected to rise from 600,000 to more than 1m a year. Joyce Little, head of libraries and information services, said: ''This news means we will be have a Central Library fit for the 21st century. It will not only be a major resource for the city but will also help attract tourists from around the world. ''A lot of the work is structural and will not necessarily be noticeable to the public but is vital. "It is the first time the building has had a proper MoT." The foundation stone for Central Library was laid in 1852 and it was one of the first in the country. The reading room's glass dome and the Corinthian-style columns, which were inspired by ancient Roman and Greek architecture, will be restored in the two-year project. Renovation work is also expected to begin on the library next year and will include a new children's library, young people's chill out zone, 10,000 more books and visitor centre with a cafe. It comes as great news for the library, which was subject to a £1m budget cut earlier this year and had to reduce its opening hours. It now closes at 6pm and the book buying budget was reduced by £250,000. Cllr Warren Bradley, executive member for leisure and culture, said: "This is brilliant news for one of the oldest public libraries in Britain. "It will enable us to transform it into one of the best libraries in the country while at the same time ensuring it's preserved for future generations. "The extra money is a tremendous vote of confidence in the scheme from the Department of Culture, Media and Sport." samlister@dailypost.co.uk | 
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