A COLLECTION of books, videos and CDs about Pakistani history and culture is on display at Blackburn Central Library.

The library service has a large collection of items about the Indian Sub-continent, in many languages.

These have been supplemented by a large donation of items from the Darwen Pakistani Culture and Literature Society, purchased in partnership with the Library and Information Service and the Ethnic Minority Development Association and sourced in Pakistan by society chairman, Mansoor Hussain.

Special displays offer readers suggestions for new things to try. Local people may have relatives in Pakistan, may have visited the area or read a story set in Pakistan and then get a taste to find out more about its history and culture. Special collections also encourage readers to share reading suggestions with each other.

It is also hoped the collection will encourage people who have not used the library before to go in and see what is available.

The material will be available for loan by any member of the library. The collection will spend 6 months at Blackburn Central Library before moving on to Darwen library.

For more information about the collection, contact 01254 661221.