A NORTH-EAST library is taking the unusual step of opening seven days a week.

Family learning facilities and Internet access are due to be made available in Hartlepool's central library on Sundays.

The move aims to provide opportunities for families as well as providing the usual book-lending services.

The New Deal for Communities will fund the opening until April 2004 along with money from Hartlepool Borough Council's libraries' budget.

Six new staff will be appointed to man the library on Sundays from 11.30am until 3.30pm.

One of the staff, a Sunday Services Officer, will also do some work during the week.

The first Sunday opening day is expected to be on October 14 with staff training starting in September.

The new opening hours mean Hartlepool library is extending its service when other libraries the region have had to cut back on their work.

In North Yorkshire, Richmond library cut its opening hours by four hours and changes were also made to Great Ayton, Colburn and Catterick Garrison's libraries hours while in Redcar library in east Cleveland closed during the afternoons to save money.

When it was announced that Nunthorpe library in Middlesbrough was set to close there was huge public outcry but despite demonstrations and petitions to try to save the service it was shut down as a cost-cutting measure.

In contrast, last year Hartlepool council's library was awarded a Government charter mark for setting standards of excellence.

Hartlepool council's libraries services gained the award at the first attempt after the judging panel praised the excellent level of service.

To gain the award the service had to meet ten criteria to demonstrate it was a 'model of public service.'

Hartlepool has seven libraries, a mobile library, a book bus library and a house-bound readers' service.

The service is one of the most popular in the region with a total of 200,000 books and 15,630 other items including tapes and CDs.

Hartlepool has the highest number of residents who are library members and the second highest number of local people visiting libraries.

As part of the bid to turn Hartlepool library into a learning centre, a foreign language day is being planned for September.

Updated: 16.45 Thursday, June 14