'Significant' government funding for libraries

Libraries in Reading are getting a "significant" cash injection

A borough's libraries are set to benefit from almost half a million pounds of investment from the government.

Reading Borough Council has been awarded £495,000 by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS).

The council said the money would benefit all of the borough's libraries and contribute to three new self-serve library sites.

Donna Pentelow, the authority's assistant director of culture, said the "significant funding" would "mean so much across our communities, library members and our staff".

The council said the grant would be spent on a variety of things, including tablets that could be borrowed and taken from the library, technology for libraries to host online events and self-service lockers for people to pick up reserved items 24/7.

Ms Pentelow said the council was "grateful" for the funding, delivered by Arts Council England.

She said libraries were "not just here to lend books".

"They are busy, vibrant, crucial centres of activity, supporting child and adult literacy, as well as offering a variety of creative events for young and old," she said.

"The traditional view of libraries as a place to borrow books or a quiet place to study is being superseded by a growing appreciation that libraries are evolving and this significant funding will expand our digital and technology offering - giving residents even more reasons to visit."