Glasgow’s libraries have been swamped by a wave of cyber surfers.
Figures show that Glaswegians' use of their local libraries has soared since the first REAL Centres were officially accredited in June 2002.
Since then, Glaswegians simply can’t get enough of the web and the unlimited access it gives them to learning.
From 2001-2002, Glasgow’s Community Library Network took 253,805 ICT bookings. In just three years, this figure has increased dramatically by a massive 163%, with bookings now exceeding 666,000 for 2004-2005.
Three of the city's community facilities were branded in May by learndirect scotland.
This means that all Glasgow’s community libraries, along with the Mitchell Library and mobile facility, have achieved learndirect scotland status.
Liz Mullen, executive director of learndirect scotland, said: “This is a remarkable achievement by Glasgow’s REAL Centres in such a relatively short space of time. Learning is no longer confined to the classroom, it’s about providing people from all walks of life with the opportunity to learn new skills and reach their full potential.
“REAL is now recognised as one of Europe’s most innovative and successful learning partnerships and Glasgow should be proud to be known as the Learning City.
“By bringing information technology into the heart of the community we are breaking down the barriers that prevent people from learning, and we are building a stronger community and city for the future.”
Councillor John Lynch, convener of Glasgow City Council's Cultural and Leisure Services committee, said: “The welcome news that all of Glasgow's libraries and learning centres have achieved learndirect scotland status is confirmation of the city's success in providing welcoming environments for learning.
"More than 118,000 registered Real Learners in Glasgow have developed their skills in Information Technology thanks to these libraries and learning centres."
Springburn Leisure Centre, Barmulloch Community Centre & Library and Gorbals Library & REAL learning Centre were the final three libraries to receive learndirect scotland accreditation. Together, the three libraries provide online facilities for more than 10,000 registered learners.
REAL is a Glasgow-wide initiative to improve access to ICT and increase the provision of learning opportunities across the city by creating a learning environment focused on the needs of real people.
REAL Libraries is a collaborative partnership between Glasgow City Council, Scottish Enterprise Glasgow, the Glasgow Colleges Group, University of Glasgow, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow Caledonian University, Learning and Teaching Scotland and The Lighthouse: Centre for Architecture, Design and the City.