LIBRARIES in Lancashire are set to improve facilities for the disabled after receiving a Lottery cash injection.

Both Blackburn with Darwen Council and Lancashire County Council have received a share of a £500,000 jackpot handed out to library authorities in the North West.

The money has come from the New Opportunities Fund which aims to help support projects which help deprived and disabled sections of society.

Blackburn with Darwen has received £84,000 to help make their libraries more accessible to the visually impaired.

Modified laptop computers will be bought to run electronic books --which enlarge the print of regular books -- while more audio books will be purchased.

Local digital art and music downloaded from the internet using MP3 players will also be purchased to allow blind people to enjoy the same facilities in the library regular users can.

A total of £84,000 has been given to the council for the project, which will be called Totality.

Susan Law, head of the Blackburn with Darwen library information service said: "Totality is an exciting and innovative project that will help users develop skills and research techniques relating to the internet."