CHILDREN from West Street School, Colne, got National Libraries Week off with a bang by releasing a mass of colourful balloons into the town centre.

Library staff got in on the act a few days later when they dressed up as pirates and distributed leaflets from a galleon in the entrance to the market hall.

The leaflets gave shoppers a taste of the treasures in store at libraries in the area and invited people to call in and see what the libraries of today have to offer.

As well as books, there are music and film tapes, links with other libraries and computers with CD Rom and the internet.

Children from four to fourteen have all been involved in activities at libraries in Burnley and Pendle through colouring competitions and treasure hunts and there are quizzes for anyone interested in local history at Barnoldswick, Colne and Burnley Central libraries.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.