RADIO 2 broadcaster and author Stuart Maconie has been inaugurated as the first patron of Leigh area libraries

He accepted the title when Wigan Leisure and Culture Trust officially launched its vision for the library service for 2005-2015 at a conference at the Turnpike Centre, Leigh.

Stuart, originally from Worsley Mesnes, is a passionate advocate for libraries and officially re-opened Golborne's new-look library in April. His knowledge of the area and the historical significance of libraries, together with the fact that he is a writer, make him an ideal candidate to take on the role.

He said: "This is a fantastic honour for me. I really believe in the power of libraries and have personal experience of how important they are to communities such as Wigan and Leigh, in fact I wouldn't be were I am today without them."

"The vision I have witnessed being presented today has really impressed me. The borough's libraries are clearly evolving and as a source of information, whether it be for research or purely for fun, they are fundamental to the fabric of our society."

"I feel as though my life only really began when I was first issued with my library card. The great thing about libraries is that the books housed in them belong to everyone. It doesn't matter what age, class or race you are, the only qualification you need to enjoy a library is 'interest'."

The quality of the borough's library service affects a population of over 300,000 people and across 16 libraries stretching from Leigh to Standish. In the last financial year 1.3 million books were issued; 265,000 enquiries were answered and over 1.1 million visits were made.

The vision for 2005-2015 seeks to build on the successes of last year and the aims will be achieved by investing in additional books, CDs and DVDs; programmed activities including reading and learning groups; longer opening hours and better Information Technology resources. In 2005/06 the library service also aims to increase the number of library users by an extra 110,000 visits.