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Libraries spending pays off with record usage
Mark Branagan FEARS that North Yorkshire's libraries are living on borrowed time have receded after new figures revealed that record numbers of people are using the service.
Officials say that customers are voting with their feet in response to a 7.2m investment by County Hall to clear the shelves of books no one wanted to borrow, and brighten up buildings which often appealed to those wanting to read newspapers rather than walk the streets.
A rolling programme of investment has transformed many of the county's libraries in the past 36 months into bright and inviting venues.
It is a far cry from the picture four years ago when customers responded to a survey that they no longer bothered using their library cards because the buildings were so drab and uninviting. Other complaints in 2002 were that opening hours were poor, and the books old and dull looking. So the following October the authority embarked on a rolling programme of refurbishment.
To date, 6m has been spent on a host of improvements, including bright new colour schemes, meeting rooms for hire, comfortable seating, baby-changing facilities, internet cafes.
A further 1.2m has gone on extending opening hours and the provision of new stock, including books, DVDs, CDs, audio books and computer games.
The result has been a massive increase in library usage. More than 30 per cent more people are now using the service and the amount of items borrowed has increased by 25 per cent. In some cases membership has increased by 150 per cent.
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Saturday 11 February 2012
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