A GROUP hoping to encourage people to use Old Town Library has been set up as campaigners continue their fight to keep it open - for good.

Thirty people gathered yesterday at the Civic Offices to hand a 450-signature petition to the mayor against the library's closure.

Supporters were in jubilant mood after hearing that the library has been given a reprieve to remain open until April 2009.

However councillors have warned that the usage of the lending facility needs to increase if it is to remain open.

Shirley Burnham, who spearheaded the fight against closure, hopes to boost library numbers by putting together a new organisation called Friends of Old Town Library.

She said: "The group will be an association of friends and like-minded people who are committed to keeping the library open for more than a year. The first thing we could do is identify new people moving into the area and put welcoming notices through their door inviting them to come and use the library.

"We would need to liaise with the Library Service, business community and shopkeepers in order to bring in people of all ages.

"The library is a welcoming focal point of the community in spite of being, at present, underused."

Fellow campaigner Rosemary Earle says there are plenty of people willing to use the library in the area.

She said: "There are a lot of new families in Old Town and two primary schools and one secondary school. We need to get them all involved. Also there are loads of mother and toddler groups and they visit the library too. We need to look at the failings and fix them, we can't just shut it down."

Coun Mike Bawden (Con, Old Town) said that he is sympathetic to the cause but also wants to drive home the message that if downward attendance trends continue there will be no choice but close the library.

He said: "If they don't use this library now, what is going to happen when the new library comes in? Things will get worse.

"Currently the real challenge is to get the people of Old Town to use the library.

"So the line now is going to have to be use it or lose it."

Anyone interested in joining the Friends of Old Town Library can email jgrimaldi@newswilts.co.uk.