Bookworms will be glad to hear that Bangkok's latest public library, Bangkok City Library, opens this Friday (Apr 7).

However, despite being billed as a 24-hour library since plans were first announced last year, it's now clear the initial opening hours are actually from 8am-9pm between Tuesday and Saturday, and 9am-8pm on Sundays, with Mondays being closed. 

According to the offical Facebook page, these hours are part of an unofficial "trial period" that aims to gauge the true demand for a 24-hour library sometime in the future.

While entrance is free, book rentals will also not be available during the trial period either, although visitors are welcome to read the books in the library and use the space for working. The official opening date is yet to be announced. 

The three-story, 4,950-sq-meter library is located in the newly-restored Ratchadamnoen Building on Rachadamnoen Road (near Khok Wua intersection) in Bangkok's Old Town. Worth approximately B296 million, the building comes in a high-ceiling, neo-classical design that combines elements of Eastern and Western architecture in the style appreciated by Kings Rama 5, 6 and 7.

Inspired by UNESCO's selection of Bangkok as the World Book Capital back in 2013, the space promises three floors of pure heaven for bookworms, including sections on Thai culture, Asian literature, world literature, international children's literature, science reference books, plus a "Hall of Fame" where the best works of historical Thai literature will be on display. In total, an estimated 30,000 books will be in the starting collection.