COUNTY council staff are helping to deliver a pioneering scheme which allows library users to get instant answers to their questions over the Internet.

Enquire is a service available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

During normal office hours, staff from North Yorkshire County Council will be on hand to answer queries and provide information through the service, which works like a computer live chat session.

Overnight, workers in the US will provide the same service.

Library users type inquiries into a webpage and staff are online instantly to help solve the problem.

The service is part of the People's Network, promoted by the Museums, Libraries and Archives Council.

Councillor Chris Metcalfe, the county council's executive member for community services, said: "This is a pioneering scheme that gives computer users all over the world access to information at all times of the day, providing users with the facts they need when they need them.

"I'm looking forward to bringing up the website and asking a few questions of my own."

The website, which can be accessed from any computer, is www.peoplesnetwork.gov. uk, then simply click on Enquire.

The People's Network was set up in 2002 as a Lottery-funded initiative to bring equality of Internet access to the whole UK population by installing PCs, broadband connections and software in all public libraries.

Enquire is the latest phase of the project. More than half of local authorities responsible for providing libraries are already helping to deliver Enquire, and North Yorkshire County Council is the latest to sign up.

It costs each authority less than £30 a week for everything they need to take part, including software, training, support and service management.

Two other services, called Discover and Read, are being launched today to coincide with National Democracy Week. They are available at the same web address.

Discover is a search-type service that people can personalise to make the information they receive relevant to their particular needs.

Read will provide people with access to resources specific to books and reading.