A recent letter of mine criticising the newly installed computerised system for borrowing books from Bolton Central Library was published in Tthe Bolton News.

Several people have been kind enough to write or phone to let me know they agreed with what I had written, and I regret to say that this letter reports on a further and possibly potentially more disastrous change that has been made at the Library.

Recently I went to the Central Library to return two books. As I came through the entrance I was faced by a table on which a large notice read: "Please put your things on here". It did not say "books". I could have left my hat and coat or my shopping and still complied with the request.

We are all, of course, aware that the message refers to books, but I find this looseness of language on the part of well trained library staff somewhat disturbing. What is more important is what would happen if somebody were to take the books after I had left them there on the table unattended?

As far as I am aware, no one had seen me put them there, and the library staff could think that I had kept them or lost them and charge me with their non-return. With the old system, the return of the books would have been witnessed by a member of the library staff, and there would be no possibility of the mix-up that is obviously possible now.

I greatly regret the steady decline of standards that is being imposed on the people of Bolton who use the town's libraries - especially at their flagship Town Centre Branch. What is even more galling - the changes being made are trumpeted as being for our benefit!

Whatever happened to good, old-fashioned common sense? It seems to be remarkably lacking at our Bolton Central Library.

Albert Hornby Glendale Drive Bolton