HUNDREDS of books and audio books have been made available for free by Northumberland Libraries.

The service has more than 600 ebooks and 400 eAudio books for children and young people to enjoy on BorrowBox.

It's hoped the service will help families who, after almost a year in and out of lockdown, may be running out of books to read or listen to at home with their children.

Northumberland County Council's Coun. Jeff Watson, cabinet member for the library service said: “We know that many children are currently homeschooling and therefore may not have access to their normal school library, where they would be able to read a variety of books.

“Parents and children may be getting fed up with their book choices at home, so the wide selection available on the digital library and via the Select and Collect service, is a great way to continue your child’s reading journey through this difficult time.”

For those who would prefer to read a physical book, the council has reminded residents that a select and collect service is in operation at a number of libraries, including Hexham.

The service is available at Hexham between 10am and 4pm from Monday to Friday and 10am to 1pm on Saturdays. Readers can either request specific titles or genres of books, and the team will pick out the best selection and arrange a time for collection.