Residents are being invited to a rather unique 80th birthday party this month (Friday, 12 October).

Staff at York Central Library are celebrating the library's birthday by highlighting the range of services available to customers 80 years on from its opening in 1927.

Fiona Williams, head of Libraries and Heritage at City of York Council, said: "Libraries have changed so much in the last five years, let alone 80 years, and we want to use Central Library's 80th birthday to highlight the range of services libraries now provide.

"One of the major changes has been the use of technology and libraries now offer so much more than just books, as they once did. We want as many people to pop along to help us celebrate and to see what the library can offer them."

Visitors will be able to view an exhibition, showing just how much the library has changed since it opened as well as taking part in taster sessions to highlight some of the services on offer.

Friday 12 October also marks national Get Online Day, which aims to encourage people of all ages to use IT and the internet, so as well as sessions on how to use the library's online resources to search reference material or to use the 'Enquire' service,  there will also be taster sessions for those who are less IT proficient. Other tasters include Skills for Life literacy and numeracy sessions, and story time for younger visitors.

The library will be open from 9.30am until 6.00pm on 12 October and customers are welcome to pop in.