HUDDERSFIELD Central Library has been named one of the most popular in the UK.
The latest Library Survey, conducted by the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy, showed 693,680 visits per year. That put Huddersfield Library 14th in the rankings.
The same research also revealed that overall there had been a 20% increase in the number of customers accessing library services via the internet across the UK.
Staff at Huddersfield believe their success is due to the many additional services and events it offers, the majority of which are free of charge.
Huddersfield Librarian Pam Chew, said: “We are really busy all the time. Saturday is usually our busiest day, but we have people coming in and out all of the time.
“The credit crunch also seems to be encouraging more people to come into library and use its extensive resources.”
The library offers many regular services, including a careers service drop-in, where people can go for free advice, help, and support.
Free regular IT taster sessions are also available, nicknamed BITS which stands for Basic Information Technology Sessions. They are so popular that they are fully booked for the next two months.
Reference Librarian, Jane Rose, said: “The sessions are aimed at people who don’t know anything about computers and IT, the course teaches them the basics and allows them to flourish from there.”
Staff at the library are also keen to encourage children and teenagers to use its facilities more.
Pam said: “We are in the process of setting up a teenage area, which will eventually have all new furniture.”
The Library’s Transcription Service is dedicated to helping people who would usually be daunted by the prospect of going into a library. The transcription service produces alternative formats such as Braille and audio. The Transcription Service also holds a popular reading group for the visually impaired, every month, in the Light Reading Library.
