Devon County Council

From Janet Kipling, Exeter 383654, November 19,2008

Over 2,000 photos and numerous drawings and paintings which celebrate a week in the life of Exeter Central Library are to be put on display.

The initiative, which ran earlier this month, encouraged library users to capture any of the wide range of activities and facilities on offer at the library on paper.

Staff also took photographs and artists and photographers created pictures.

Devon County Council Executive Member for Culture, Cllr Sheila Hobden, said: "There has been a library in Exeter since the 1860's and we have a treasured collection of pictures and documents which record important events over the last century and a half including its destruction during the blitz and reconstruction during the 1960s. This initiative was aimed at adding to them, so we have a good record to pass on for the future. We are delighted with the results and looking forward to sharing them with library visitors."

The paintings and drawings produced by members of the public have been entered into a competition, which will be judged this week. There are three categories - buildings, people and the library, what it means to me- and three age groups - adult, 13 to 16 year olds and under 12s.

Entries included both photographs and drawings and include views of the library taken from Rougemont Gardens. Other entrants chose to concentrate on the interior and caught the library from a variety of angles picking out the interesting architecture such as the stairs and the mosaics.

Pencil drawings of events held in the Music Room as well as sketches of both the staff and the public using all areas of the library were entered.

The winners will be announced on Wednesday 19 November at 6pm at the Reference Library in Exeter Central Library. They will receive their prizes from Cllr Sheila Hobden. Amongst the entrants are staff and pupils from West Exe Technology College and St Peter's School, and Exeter College art students. Artist Carys Wilson and photographer Tim Burtin, who also took part, will be in attendance.

All the pictures produced during the week will be on display until the end of the month.

Notes to editors

Media representatives are welcome to attend the event and take photographs. The announcing of the winners and prize giving will start at 6pm in the Reference Library.