THANKS to funding from the Government’s Libraries Improvement Fund and fundraising by library Friends’ groups, customers at six Herefordshire libraries now have access to tablet computers free of charge.

The tablets have been funded for use by customers at Ross-on-Wye, Hereford, Leominster, Ledbury, Kington and Colwall libraries.

They are free of charge for use in the libraries on production of your library card and are in addition to the existing PC (personal computer) service.

However, you must be a member of the library to use the tablets, but joining is quick and easy and can be done online or at any of our libraries.

The Friends of Ross Library assist by raising funds for special projects like the tablet computer initiative.

An additional set of tablets has been purchased to enable outreach work at all library sites. These will provide enhanced opportunities for us to work with partners such as the Department for Work and Pensions, Youth Employment Hub, Age UK and Healthy Lifestyles Service.

Councillor Harry Bramer, cabinet member for community services and assets at Herefordshire Council, said: “Having these tablets available in our libraries and for outreach work helps to improve digital access and enables us to offer a wider programme of creative and digital activity with partners.

“We are confident that this will lead to an increased number and diversity of users and more people being supported to be more digitally self-sufficient.”

Jon Chedgzoy, libraries and archives manager at Herefordshire Council, added:

“We are very grateful to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sports for providing this funding and also to the Friends of Ross Library and the friends of the other libraries for their additional fund-raising efforts.

The tablets are now ready and waiting and our team are really looking forward to supporting members in their use.”