READING is to be done at your leisure . . . centre.

Bury Council has been one of the first authorities in the country to consider the idea of installing a library at one of its leisure centres. Now the word is out and a library is to open at Castle Leisure Centre in April.

The facility will be complete with Bury's first self-service library terminal, and is to be housed in a newly-built section of the leisure complex in Bolton Street.

Castle Sport and Leisure Library will have the same opening hours as the centre to allow access to people who have come to work out, swim or who are just waiting for friends and relatives.

State-of-the-art electronics will provide a self-service facility, and books and audio-visual items with a specialist sports theme will be stocked alongside more general library material for the use of leisure centre visitors.

The self-service and electronic security technology will enable the lending service to be accessed even when the library is not staffed. It is envisaged that, although the library staff would be in attendance for some 25 hours per week, the library would actually be open for more than 100 hours.

Councillor Siobhan Costello, executive member for community services, said: "This is a wonderful way of taking our library services closer to more people in the borough and showing people what is on offer. The council is determined to make services even more accessible and this kind of thing is breaking new ground."

It is hoped the new library will lead to increased use of both the leisure centre and the borough's library service. The library will also offer a range of activity sessions targeted at different age groups, including story-times for the under fives and homework support for school students.

The scheme also includes a significant upgrading to the current crche facility at the centre. This aspect of the initiative is being part-funded by the National Lottery through the New Opportunities Fund.