On Wednesday 9 November a new library service designed to improve public access to the diverse printed information resources held in local libraries was launched at the Aberystwyth Arts Centre, The University of Wales, Aberystwyth.

Linc y Canolbarth is a partnership between Higher Education institutions in West Wales and Ceredigion Public Library. It has been developed, with financial assistance from the Welsh Assembly Government via a grant from CyMAL: Museums, Archives and Libraries Wales.

Mr Bill Hines, Assistant Director for Library and Advisory Services at the University of Wales, Aberystwyth said: "This scheme will give members of the public in Ceredigion access to a million books which are held in libraries at the Universities of Aberystwyth and Lampeter, and Trinity College Carmarthen."

Members of the public who use the Ceredigion Public Library service will be able to place a reservation on many items of stock held in the local University library collections through the new computer catalogue system.

Assuming that the book which has been requested is on the shelves, and available for outside loan, it will be transported to the branch where the original reservation was made within a few days and will then be available to the borrower for up to three or four weeks. There will be a 50p reservation charge to use the service and loans of certain categories of material will be restricted.