MORE than 42,000 library members across Denbighshire are being given an extra incentive to spread the word to their friends and family in an innovative promotion to be launched this week. Although library membership in Wales is the highest in the UK, only a quarter of the population are currently members, so Welsh library chiefs are keen to increase their customer base further. According to research undertaken, around 70% of library users go to the library once a week or more, so there will be plenty of opportunities for people to recommend a friend during January. With exclusive prizes including TV chef Dudley Newbery cooking at your home, the chance to meet BBC Wales personality Iolo Williams or to win a romantic weekend in a teepee in the Welsh mountains, the promotion aims to convince existing members to recommend joining their local library to their friends. Arwyn Jones, Denbighshire’s principal librarian, is confident the promotion will raise awareness of library services and encourage more people to visit and use their local library. "This will be the first time that a promotion of this kind has been run across all libraries in Wales so we are very excited about launching it," he said. "We have secured a wide range of exclusive prizes that we hope will appeal to everyone. – existing and potential members, male and female, young and old. "We have taken a lead from the retail sector in the planning of the promotion. Although people who are already members of their local library know about the fantastic services and facilities we have on offer, all too often they keep it to themselves so many people still think that libraries are just about borrowing books. "Library users across Wales make 14.5 million visits to the library each year and we hope this promotion will give them the incentive they need to spread the word to friends and family, and, as a result, increase library membership across Wales." Each of Wales’ 323 public libraries will be running the promotion until February 1. People who are already members of the library will have to fill in an entry form and then recommend a friend to join their local library in order for both to be entered in to the prize draw. | 
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