Community libraries around Cambridgeshire have received a big boost from online retail giant, Amazon.

The online retailer has contributed 800 non-fiction books to the county’s four mobile libraries, and has donated 50 Amazon Fire tablets to the council’s volunteer-led ‘Library at Home’ service, which supports housebound and vulnerable people across the country.

The donations come as part of Amazon’s ‘Amazon in the Community’ programme, which will see the county’s libraries develop six new roving book collections which are aimed at young people and aimed around science, technology and encouraging youngsters to broaden their horizons and develop new skills.

Councillor Mac McGuire, Cambridgeshire County Council chairman of Highways and Community Infrastructure Committee said: “We’d like to thank Amazon for their generous support. This partnership comes at a time when a recent member-led review group for income generation, highlighted the need for us to seek sponsorship for library services. We look forward to working with our new supporters, for the benefit of our local libraries and the communities they serve.

“The Fire tablets will help some of our most vulnerable customers get online and take advantage of the libraries’ book and audio book offers, and the financial contribution to the non-fiction books comes at a good time to encourage people in their interests and studies.”

Lauren Kisser, Operations Director at Amazon Prime Air, said: “We welcome the opportunity to be able to support improved literacy across Cambridgeshire and support the work of Cambridgeshire Libraries. We have a long heritage in both literacy and innovation and are pleased to be able to donate devices and books to making reading more accessible for people across the county.”