Imagine having a device that will take you anywhere in time or space, allow you to see worlds you have only dreamed of and meet people long since dead.

Well, this exists and although it's a bit low-tech everyone can have one, two or even a whole shelf full of them!

It is of course a book and according to Sally Williams, Senior Librarian at Bradford's Central Lending Library, everyone should have one on the go.

"Books are the ultimate virtual reality helmet, you can go to other countries and see other people on the pages of a book.

"They fire the imagination. There is nothing like having a book that you simply cannot put down because you have to know what happens in the end."

For Bradford school children, the National Year of Reading will seem like a bit more of the same because it begins as the local National Year of Literacy ends.

The last year was aimed primarily at improving reading and understanding skills and although the coming year's campaign is broader in its focus - aiming at garnering family interest in books - Sally hopes the momentum will be maintained for youngsters.

Getting children interested in books has always been a hard job, but boys in particular have shown an unwillingness to turn over a new leaf.

"Boys tend to see reading as a timid pursuit. They would rather be out playing football than reading about it," she said.

"But there is a whole new generation of books written for teenage boys and there are graphic novels and authors like Terry Pratchett, who writes funny science fantasy books that boys love.

It is planned that there will be promotions in every library in the district to mark the National Year of Reading.

Each month will have a theme, starting off this month with stories and storytelling aimed at the very youngest readers.

Next month focuses on poetry, with December looking at drama, January at books in other media, February looks at the internet, March homes in on sports reading, April looks at music, May is about reading without print for disabled people, June focuses on holiday reading, July on newspapers and August takes a peek into the future.

l For more information, contact Sally at the library on (01274) 753518 or Chris Binns on (01274) 753643.

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.