The National Library of Wales in Cardiff

Wales is launching a month-long celebration of libraries in the first festival of its kind in the UK. Libraries Festival Wales 2007 launches in October 2007 and will see events for young and old in the country’s 323 public libraries, together with an attempt to stage Wales’ biggest book.

Public libraries, further and higher education libraries will be holding poetry readings, treasure hunts and family history classes, and even live music in order to attract more people than ever to find out about the wide ranges of services they have to offer.

“An extensive refurbishment programme is already underway for many of our public libraries and we have re-launched the Wales Libraries website to make our services as accessible as possible to everyone,” said Rhodri Glyn Thomas AM, Minister for Heritage.

“Libraries Festival Wales 2007 will give us a real opportunity to celebrate the fantastic things that are going on in libraries up and down the country - and will give everyone in Wales, no matter what their age, background or interests, a reason to join their local library, to use their school, college or university library, or to visit the National Library.”

For the huge reading group attempt, Welsh libraries are inviting members of the public to visit their local library on October 4 to review a book they have read.

The website www.library.wales.org has been re-launched for the festival, and now includes news and information feeds that can be personalised to users’ interests, styles and colours. Site users can find information on local libraries and even see which books are available, as well as the top five books being borrowed across the country.

The website also provides a huge searchable reference resource, Ask Cymru – a team of 50 librarians and information professionals with direct access to the National Library of Wales and other public and academic resources.

To find out what’s on in your area, go to www.library.wales.org or contact you local library.

“This will be a great opportunity to show that Wales is leading the way in the library sector and we are hoping to make it the first of what will become an annual event” said Dylan Hughes, libraries Officer at Wrexham County Council.

The festival is part of the Welsh Assembly’s Libraries for Life campaign.