LIBRARIES across East Lancashire are set to open earlier in a bid to meet new rules laid down by the Government.

And cutbacks in service implemented in 1995 to save cash could also be reversed, if recommendations are accepted by Lancashire County Council councillors.

Last November, the authority was told it faced a bill of more than £1million if it was to meet new Government targets for library services due to come into effect in 2004.

So far, just £185,000 extra has been earmarked for libraries out of this year's budget and a special task group was set up to work out how the money could be best spent.

In a report, the task group recommends that £30,000 of that money be used to increase the number of hours Lancashire's libraries are open by a total of 156.

That will mean that many libraries, including Burnley, Chorley, Accrington and Nelson, half an hour earlier at 9.30am, with lunchtime and half-day closures reversed.

Larger libraries will open later into the evenings and for longer on Saturdays.

Plans are also being drawn up for some libraries to open on a Sunday.

Another £60,000 will be added to the annual fund used to buy books and other resources. The government rules stipulate that the Library Service should purchase 216 items per thousand of the population, while Lancashire buys just 201.

The £60,000 would take the county's spending power up to 206 books per thousand of the population.

Items to be bought would include books, CDs, DVDs, videos and other materials.

A county council spokesman said: "The recommendations of the task group will be considered by Coun Niki Penney, who is in charge of lifelong learning."

A survey carried out in 1999 revealed that the county's library service was among the most popular services provided.

The spokesman added: "We know how much the Library Service is valued by our customers and would involve and consult with them in any major decisions.

"We already meet nine of the standards for public libraries and expect that we will meet another three or four due to investment and policies we already have in place."