I WOULD like to congratulate Penarth library staff on the amazing service they offer.

The children's library has been upgraded to a bright, friendly area that the children love to visit.

Over the summer holidays the staff have run a competition for young readers, encouraging them to read six books.

After each two books they received badges and stickers.

The Thursday before last there was a presentation of certificates to all the children who successfully completed the challenge -every school age child in Penarth under 10 as far as I could see.

The boost to reading standards and sheer enjoyment of reading must have been incalculable.

A courtyard at the back of the building has been converted into a delightful children's garden and now they are going to be helped to paint the bare walls around it.

Back in the library the children are now greeted with enormous Halloween spiders in webs stretching across the ceiling.

All this whilst the machines for checking the books in and out have been non-operational for months and this has to be done by hand.

Adult readers receive the same warm, friendly, efficient help. What an asset for Penarth.

Sue Knight

Redlands Road

Penarth