Boom time for Pendle's libraries (From Lancashire Telegraph)

Boom time for Pendle's libraries

1:00pm Thursday 20th December 2012 in Pendle By Tyrone Marshall, Reporter

Staff who signed up new library members were entered in a prize draw. Winners Jean Pickup (left) from Colne Library and Kirsty Hornsby from Nelson, and Colne resident Robert Style

LIBRARY visits in Nelson and Colne have rocketed since Lancashire County Council launched a high-profile campaign to bring people back in.

More than 40,000 people visited Nelson Library in September and October, more than at any other library of its size in Lancashire.

And Colne Library saw a year-on-year increase in new members of more than five per cent.

The campaign ran in September and October and featured Lancashire library users on eye-catching billboards, posters, phone boxes, and buses, as well as on the council’s social media channels on Twitter, Flickr and YouTube.

County Coun Mike Calvert, cabinet member for adult and community services, said: “We know that libraries are important to people’s quality of life and are at the heart of local communities, which is why we are investing around £6.5million in refurbishing our network of 74 libraries across the county.

“I’m delighted that the campaign has been as successful in Colne and Nelson as in other parts of the county.

“It just shows that people do respond when we let them know about the brilliant range of services available in our libraries.”

Both libraries ran a host of events to welcome in their local communities and hosted visits from local schools to give pupils a chance to find out what’s on offer and to sign up as new members.

The campaign came as the council is midway through its £6.5million regenerate programme which is refurbishing its 74-strong network of library branches.

The programme is aimed at ensuring that those libraries will not only remain open but will provide modern, flexible facilities fit for the 21st century.