Summon up the stereotypical image of a public library and you'll probaby think of a silent, slightly dusty building, where the only sound is the ticking of a clock and the occasional "sshhhhhh" from a spinsterly librarian.

But libraries have come a long way since I got my first borrower's card in the 70s - and particularly here in Oxfordshire.

While the majority of the country's 208 library authorities have seen their membership plummet in recent years, Oxfordshire's borrower numbers are rising.

Child borrowers rose by 13 per cent alone last year and adult borrowers also increased by one per cent.

County children's and youth librarian Carol Stitson believes this is down to 'catching them young'.

"Thanks mainly to a packed programme of events and national and local reading initiatives, libraries have become a very exciting place for children." she said.

"We're not dying - far from it!

"I can barely keep up with buying all the new books we need."

Although libraries still have all the facilities you'd expect - quiet areas, research and study areas and those formidable microfiche machines - you'll also find children playing on library computers, enjoying stories and even singing (heaven forbid!) with their parents and carers.

"The message we want to get across is that children are welcomed, not banished from libraries," said Ms Stitson.

"In the past, I think the stereotype of libraries meant that people thought they were unsuitable for children.

"I think a lot of people still worry about their babies crying and disturbing people.

"And people also worry about their children damaging books they borrow.

"But there are no fines for lateness or damage for children's books.

"We know only too well that books inevitably end up in little mouths, and that's not a problem."

She added: "We find that most of our older members love to see the children enjoying themselves in initiatives like Storytime and Rhymetime."

One such Rhymetime session, at Oxford's Central Library on a Wednesday morning, sees babies, toddlers, parents and carers, happily singing along to nursery rhymes, complete with sound effects.

"I think the parents enjoy it as much as the children!" jokes Ms Stitson.

Meanwhile, over at Kidlington Library, I found a whole corner taken up by the Surf Shack, a specially designed reading space, complete with surfboards, sandy floor and even a parrot, where young people can have fun with words.

"The Surf Shack is touring the county's libraries this summer and Oxfordshire is one of just three counties (Oxfordshire, Harrogate and Hertfordshire) piloting the scheme," said Ms Stitson.

"The Surf Shack was designed by Rob Dicks, a freelance designer who has designed sets for TV's Dr Who and they feel like they are escaping into their own little world.

"Local writers and poets, including Sara-Jane Arbury and Marcus Moore, have been leading sessions and the children love it."