Today is World Book Day, 1st March, and this year, as they do every year, National Book tokens have given out 15 million £1 vouchers across the UK via schools and pre-schools.

Child minders and Home Educators can also apply for the tokens. They need to apply in writing, including a stamped addressed envelope and write the number of tokens required on the right hand corner of the return envelope. Send it to:

EdCo – World Book Day SAE
PO Box 105
Rochester
ME2 4BE

The tokens are valid until Sunday 25th March and to get a braille or audio book you can call the RNIB Helpline at 0303 123 9999 or email helpline@rnib.org.uk.

If you would like to request a copy of a World Book Day 2018 title in large print call Guide Dogs on 0118 983 8275 or visit their website here.

The £1 tokens can be used to purchase one of 10 books at £1, so basically they are free, or they can be put towards one of 5 books worth £2.50.

In Orkney there are 2 bookshops you can use your tokens in: Stromness Books and Prints and The Orcadian Bookshop.

World Book Day is a wonderful way of encouraging young people to pick up a book but libraries are doing an amazing job in that too. Kirkwall and Stromness libraries are new bright buildings which now are about much more than books and offer a range of services for the public.

Being a member of the library in Orkney costs you nothing and they don’t even have fines if you are a wee bit late returning the items you have borrowed. It is a shame that so many places are either losing their public libraries or reducing their hours so much that it makes it difficult for people to access them. Orkney Library has rising numbers so maybe other local authorities should  look at what Orkney is doing right before cutting back on their library provision.

You will also see that the Orkney News has an advert running for a free digital download of the historical novel A Kingdom’s Cost by J.R. Tomlin.

My house is chock a block with books so it was my first time in accessing one digitally. I now wonder why I had never done this before. (Although I do still like the comfort of my books about me).

Reporter: Fiona Grahame

Related Story: World Book Day: Is It Still About Books?