THOUSANDS of deaf people will benefit from a pioneering library project.

The borough is one of just four in the country to win cash - the full £45,000 cost of the scheme - through the Sir Jules Thorn Charitable Trust.

Only a handful of public libraries in the UK provide such facilities. Now Bury, which has operated a specialist service for the visually impaired for the last five years, is moving into the field by setting up a unit for the hearing impaired.

Councillor Siobhan Costello, cultural services spokesman, said there were 31,000 adults and children with hearing problems in the borough.

"What we are proposing to do is establish a quality library service for the hearing impaired," she said.

"Our belief is that the service, by virtue of its comprehensive coverage and underpinning of the partnership and outreach philosophy, will be the first of its kind in the country and will be an effective model for other local authorities to follow." A specialist librarian will be appointed for one year to run the service which will be based at Bury central library.

Local organisations would be consulted over production of information packs and training, and a club for hearing impaired children could be set up.

Mr John Carter, cultural services manager, said the project would be more than a library service but, like the visual impairment unit, a social and advice centre working with local deaf groups.

Mr Carter hoped that the hearing impairment service would become integrated into the housebound and special services section of the libraries service.

And he said the unit would particularly benefit those who had slight to moderately hearing difficulties.

"These are often people who have difficulties in everyday life but would not approach a deaf group or other advice organisation," he said. "Therefore they often never find out about the range of aids and adaptations which are available to help improve their lives."

Bury will draw up a "blueprint" on the service for other libraries to follow.

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