Library borrowing boost approved

Measures to help boost borrowing at six of Cumbria's least-used libraries have been given the go-ahead.

Cumbria County Council has approved plans for flexible opening hours and access to a wider choice of books, CDs and DVDs.

A new loyalty card will also allow regular users to qualify for free film and music loans.

The libraries involved are in Ormsgill, Abbeytown, Kells, Coniston, St Bees and Great Broughton.

A pilot scheme to increase accessibility to the mobile library service is also being introduced, with fewer individual stops enabling them to stay open for longer in places where accessing library services is currently difficult.

The performance of each library will be reviewed again in July 2007, and if the changes prove unsuccessful in attracting more borrowers, the service could look at making more radical changes.

These might include replacing branches with an expanded mobile service or the Library Links scheme, where books are borrowed through a local shop.