BOLTON bookworms are falling by the wayside and being overtaken by the audio visual age.

Statistics produced by the borough's library service reveal a decline in book loans and an increasing interest in non-book material including compact discs, videos and talking books.

The decline is mirrored in other parts of the country. But children are putting adults in the shade with junior fiction borrowing increasing by almost six per cent.

The library service holds about half a million items for the public to borrow and statistics for 1996-97 show that 32.9 per cent of the local population are registered library members.

At Bolton's Central Library 22,000 are members of the audio visual library.

An increase in the amount of archive and local studies material held by the library service has meant it has had to find extra storage space. Storage units under the Market Hall now house some of the documents and literature relating to Bolton past.

In addition to borrowing and lending the library service proves a vital information point and last year libraries across the borough answered more than a quarter of a million enquiries.

Presenting the 1996-97 annual library report, Mrs Yvonne Gill-Martin, Assistant Chief Librarian in Bolton said a number of projects were now underway to compensate for the loss of the four branch libraries which were shut this year to make budget savings of £100,000.

Cllr Bob Ronson asked for a public meeting to explain to the residents of Brazley, Horwich, why the decision had been taken to shut the library.

Chairman of the Arts Sub Committee Cllr Don Eastwood, said: "We have provided extra hours at Horwich library and increased mobile library stops. I do not see why we should have a public meeting in Horwich when other parts of the borough have suffered too."

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