LIBRARIES in Worcestershire are the most cost effective across the country.

The latest public library statistics collated by the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy for 2013/14 revealed the county's libraries, for the second year running, have the lowest cost-per-visit figure of any county council, and one which is well below the overall English and UK figures.

The findings also show the Worcestershire libraries are bucking the national trend when it comes to the number of issues and visits.

And the integrated public and university library at the Hive, in Worcester, has been named the most popular library in the West Midlands and in the top five in England.

The Hive issued 903,859 books during the financial year 2013/14 and received 978,199 visits.

Councillor Lucy Hodgson, county council cabinet member for localism and communities, said: "We are really proud of our libraries and the efficient way we operate the service, which continues to be enjoyed by thousands of users of all ages across Worcestershire.

"Due to the financial pressures the authority is faced with we've been transforming how our library services operate. And through innovative ways of working with local communities have to date been able to keep all of our libraries open, which hasn’t been the case in some parts of the country.

"We are also very proud of the fact that although we have made efficiency changes we believe our customers still enjoy a high-quality service and we're as committed as ever to carrying this on."

Further information on Worcestershire's libraries, including how to join, renew or reserve books and the e-books and e-magazine service is available at worcestershire.gov.uk/libraries.