A LIBRARIAN is among four people from Bolton awarded the MBE in the Queen's Birthday Honours List.

Julie Spencer, who works for Bolton Library Services, has received the honour for services to librarianship.

Other local people among the honours are trade unionist Frank Hankinson, special needs teacher Sharron Hardman and employment service worker Hazel Hamer.

Julie, who managed Bolton's Year of Reading campaign, has worked for the council for 14 years, initially as a children's and schools' librarian in Farnworth, Little Lever, Bromley Cross and Blackrod.

She is at present involved with the "Everybody's Reading" project. Julie is the co-ordinator for the scheme which is aimed at 16 to 25 year olds and which is now in its second year.

Julie said: "I'm pleased, delighted. It's lovely to know there are people out there who recognise the work we do.

"This is for Bolton Library Services as well. We are trying to make our library services more accessible and relevant to the younger generation. We want to get away from the stereotype image of the library."

Julie worked for Wigan Libraries, at Standish and Leigh, before joining Bolton in 1988.

She lives in Aspull with her husband, Graham, and children, Amy and Thomas, aged 16 and 11.

Frank Hankinson is a former convenor who served with an engineering union for 64 years. He will be dedicating his MBE to his wife, Mabel, who died four months ago at the age of 81.

Frank, of Worsley Avenue, Little Hulton, received the award for services to trade unions and industrial relations. He was secretary of the Walkden and Worsley branches of the Amalgamated Engineering and Electrical Union (AEEU) for 38 years.

But the 83-year-old's association with the union goes back to 1936, when he first signed up as an apprentice.

Mr Hankinson became convenor and shop steward at Richard Hough's works in Bolton in 1964, a position he held for 18 years, and was president of Salford Trades Council from 1974 to 1984.

He joined the Labour Party in 1947 and was Bolton District committee delegate to the North West Region Labour Party for 25 years. In 1988 he was awarded a certificate of merit by the Labour Party's National Executive for outstanding voluntary service to the party.

Mr Hankinson is also a founding member of the AEEU Retired Members' Association.

He has many interests outside the world of industrial relations and was a governor of Salford College between 1968 and 1998 . The Hankinson Shield, a college engineering prize, is awarded to students each year.

Sharron Hardman, from Cheadle, has been honoured for services to Special Needs Education.

The 48-year-old teacher has been working with children for 27 years and has spent the past 13 at Gorsefield County Primary School, Radcliffe. Mrs Hardman, who has helped children to develop their skills and abilities, said: "I'm amazed and shocked. I just feel very lucky to be in a rewarding career with a job I love.

"But I feel the award is as much for the children as for me. It's such an honour."

Mrs Hardman also worked at Wesley Methodist School, Radcliffe.

Hazel Hamer, from Astley Bridge, has been given an MBE for her work in the Civil Service. The 59-year-old has worked on-and-off in the public sector since she was 16.

She began her working life at the Inland Revenue, which she eventually quit to become the landlady of The Pineapple in Blackburn Road, Astley Bridge.

Hazel, a divorcee, left the pub trade and went to work in the south of England.

She returned in February, 1991, to work for the Jobcentre in Great Moor Street, Bolton, following the death from cancer of her 27-year-old daughter, Deborah. She came back to Bolton to look after her grand-daughter, Danielle, now aged 16.

She hopes to take Danielle and her other daughter, 30-year-old Stephanie, to Buckingham Palace when she receives her award.

She said: "I feel so embarrassed. I didn't fight in the Falklands, or raise loads of money for charity. I'm just a normal person doing a normal job."

But her family would be proud of her MBE. She added: "I'm going to have to spend a fortune on a new outfit." She is also a school governor at Thomas's School Scot Lane End CE School, Blackrod.