PUBLIC libraries and business have started a new chapter in teamwork. The Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) in Kent and Medway has opened its first regional office in Allington library, Maidstone.

At the official ribbon-cutting ceremony, councillors said the idea of letting space to outside organisations could spread to other libraries across the county.

After opening the new facility, Cllr Alex King, Kent County Council's Cabinet member for regeneration, said libraries and schools were at the heart of the community.

"We have been saying that for a long time but this is the first tangible demonstration of how you can link a library to the business community," he said.

"If we can make this work, I can see it being repeated again and again."

It also demonstrated KCC's strategy to work closely with business groups like the FSB to promote their concerns to the Government and elsewhere.

Kent and Medway FSB has spent £60,000 on the new facility. The group now has more than 6,000 members employing 27,000 people between them, and aims to attract more members from the county's 45,000 small enterprises.

But until now it has never had a fully-equipped base. Regional secretary Mike Nicholson suggested using Allington library for this purpose and KCC agreed.

Regional chairman Roger House said the office brought valuable facilities to the "hard-pressed" small businessman and woman, including a venue for meetings.

Manager Fran Smith, from Maidstone, previously worked with Link Employment Services and for the past five years has taken the minutes of meetings held by the FSB regional committee and Maidstone branch.