SDLP South Down MLA said the new library planned for Kilkeel is a great victory for a community that was determined to retain a core service.

Ms McKevitt sits on the Assembly committee which monitors the Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure with responsibility for the library service and has campaigned strongly against proposals for cutbacks in local access.

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She said: "The threat posed by cuts in hours and possible closures has galvanised many communities and led people to re-evaluate the crucial role played by libraries and more importantly, the roles they could play if properly resourced.

"Books are very important but libraries are about much more, they are real cultural hubs for small communities. Their role cannot be measured crudely by counting borrowings and visits. Kilkeel now has an opportunity to be a showcase for the new roles that libraries can play when they have the sort of public backing that has been demonstrated over the last year."

(CD/GK)