RESIDENTS in Stockton enjoy a good library service which should get even better in the future, according to a report published today.

A team of inspectors from the Audit Commission judged the service to be good, with promising prospects for improvement, and awarded it two stars out of a possible three.

The inspection report said customer satisfaction with the libraries was high. It noted that all libraries in the borough had Internet access and a good selection of books.

The report said that many sections of the community were reached by the service, including housebound, those in prison, and hospital patients. Staff are committed to modernisation and benefit from a good range of training opportunities.

However, some areas of the service were highlighted for improvement including some library buildings which were said to be old fashioned.

The report also found it did not have a clear picture of who was using the sevice, therefore it could not be sure it reached all sections of the community.

Audit Commission senior manager Mathew Gladstone said: "The range of books in Stockton's libraries is good, covering a broad range of tastes and subject areas.

"This is supplemented by CDs, videos, DVDs, audio books, a full range of local and national newspapers, community information, photocopiers, fax facilities, Internet and email access."

He said that the budget for the service was to increase by a quarter of a million pounds.