THE closing dates for two more libraries have been announced.

Oxford Grove Library will close on February 24 and Castle Hill Library on March 2.

Neighbourhood col- lections will open in the Halliwell and Tonge UCAN centres on the Mondays follow- ing each closure.

The new-style serv- ice will enable people to borrow books via a self-service machine.

There will also be computers set up in both centres offering internet access.

The neighbourhood collections will be open during UCAN opening hours, plus Saturdays at Halliwell, from 9.30am to 12.30pm. After April 1, Halliwell’s hours will increase further to include three evenings until 6pm.

Five libraries will close, saving Bolton Council £200,000 a year. The move is part of £100 million of cuts over four years, brought about by a reduction in money the council receives from central Govern- ment.

Council leader Cllr Cliff Morris said: “Both Halliwell and Tonge UCAN are established focal points for the local community. By locat- ing the neighbourhood collection points in these buildings there is real scope to develop community involve- ment even further. I’m also pleased to be able to extend the opening hours at Halliwell UCAN to allow bor- rowers more flexibili- ty.”

Any requests for books not on display can be made via the library ordering serv- ice. Ordered books can be delivered to the neighbourhood collec- tion or any other library. People can return books to any library.

First to close, earlier this month, was High- field Library, in High- field Road, Farnworth. It has been replaced by an 850-book self serv- ice collection point.

Heaton area forum heard just 88 books were taken out in Highfield’s first week of operation, four times fewer than the average taken from the library.

Tom Hanley, chair of Save Bolton Libraries Campaign, told the meeting the fight to save the libraries was not over and asked what was being done to prevent books being stolen.

Julie Spencer from the library service told Mr Hanley the council would monitor securi- ty at the neighbour- hood collections.