Hunt for golden tickets in your local library

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The borough's libraries will be following Willy Wonka's example by inviting children and young people to hunt for seven golden tickets hidden in books for young readers.

The aim of the Roald Dahl-inspired promotion is to encourage more children and teenagers to borrow books from the borough's six libraries and the mobile library service, which visits schools and housing estates.

One golden ticket, each worth £20 in book tokens, will be hidden in a book in the children's or teenage fiction sections at each local library as well as the mobile library. A further 233 book tokens, each worth £1, will be hidden throughout the libraries' collections for young readers (36 per library, plus 17 in the mobile library).

The promotion begins on Thursday 2 March, which is World Book Day, and runs until 26 March.

Cllr Melanie Smallman, cabinet member for education, said: "What a great way to celebrate World Book Day - encourage younger readers to borrow books with an inspired treasure hunt through our library shelves. It is important that we appeal to people who currently do not use the libraries as well as encouraging existing library members to visit more regularly."

Sunday opening, new books, DVD collections, better disabled access and new computers with internet access at all libraries, as well as an exciting programme of events for children and adults, have helped libraries to increase the number of visits by seven per cent in the last four years and items issued by 18 per cent over the same period. Last year the borough's libraries hit a million visitors for the year 2004-5 for the first time in recent years and are set to do the same again at the end of March this year for 2005-6.

February 26, 2006