DORCHESTER Library is looking to snare new users early by offering a day of pre-natal and early years activities.

The library's March 'baby shower' will comprise a range of workshops and taster activities aiming to bring new and expectant parents and grandparents together. The day will see sessions including 'Read-to-Your-Bump' and 'Baby Rhymetime', while refreshments will be available and a quiet area will be put aside for breastfeeding.

The event is being held in order to encourage library use from a young age, as well as offering expectant parents and carers of babies some reading time.

The all-day drop-in 'baby shower' will be attended by representatives from pregnancy and birth organisations, and a free raffle will feature alongside other competitions.

Councillor Deborah Croney, Dorset County Council's libraries spokeswoman, said:

Libraries provide a great space for so much more than just books. They welcome clubs and activities for people of all ages, provide a way to socialise and meet new people, and help to keep our residents independent and healthy within their own communities.

“The baby showers are a great way of introducing parents and babies, whether still a bump or a tot, to the benefits that reading, information and socialisation can bring."

Anyone interested is invited to come along to Dorchester Library on Charles Street between 10 am and 3 pm on Saturday, March 17. For further information, contact the library directly or go to www.dorsetforyou.gov.uk/libraries.