AS part of National Libraries Week LiveWire is allowing members to donate food instead of paying fines on overdue books.

The 'Food for Fines' initiative will support Warrington Foodbank between October 5 and 14, and is just one of the activities taking place to celebrate Libraries Week. 

For each item of food donated, all LiveWire library staff will reduce the amount of fines a person owes by £1, up to a maximum of £50, and will be accepting items such as tinned spaghetti, tinned fruit, fruit juice from concentrate, cream crackers, jam and tinned meat. 

Other events taking part in Libraries Week include poetry reading, art classes, coding clubs, a murder mystery event, a history talk and a silver social event at Orford Jubilee Neighbourhood Hub’s Jubilee Suite from 2pm to 4pm on Monday, October 7. 

This event is for the over 55s and is aimed at helping to combat social isolation by providing a safe and friendly environment for people make new friends.

Admission is free but booking is essential through the library. 

Warrington Borough Council’s cabinet member for leisure and community, Cllr Tony Higgins, said: "National Libraries Week is the perfect time to discover – or re-discover – all the wonderful things on offer at your library. 

"They are a great place to find the best new books, take up a hobby or meet new people.

"We want to make our libraries, inclusive, welcoming community spaces which are filled with creativity, learning, imagination and play. 

"I’m delighted that National Libraries Week will celebrate many of these things – from family fun days to murder mysteries and from poetry readings to heritage events.

"There’s something for everyone, so make sure you get involved in the week and support your library."

Wendy Molyneux, LiveWire’s strategic library manager, added: "Libraries Week is an annual celebration highlighting the valuable role libraries play in transforming lives and strengthening communities.

"From Food for Fines that we are really excited about to our Silver Social, it’s a chance for us to get away from the typical stereotyping of libraries and show that we are innovative in our approach to engaging with the public and reinventing the image of libraries."