Romford Central Library looks very interesting on the outside but does feel like a big box on the inside, although admittedly one flooded with light and with very high ceilings.

Local studies was on the floor above and I noticed an IT suite off the side. There was a café area but with just a vending machine.

The children’s library was large and spacious and I loved the images on the sides of the bookcases.

The children’s library had a “smart table” which I hadn’t seen before (in the picture above it’s just behind the self-issue terminal). Apparently Havering Libraries was one of the first in the country to have one. We couldn’t use it because you had to go the desk with your library card to have it activated. But even in its standby state it looked like a pond and you could ripple the water by touching it. I regret not asking if we could join the library just so my daughter could have a go.