Bermuda Library is planning an amnesty to help recover an estimated 6,000 missing books -- many of them irreplaceable.

Head librarian Joanne Brangman said she was particularly keen to get hold of items from the Bermudiana Collection which had copies of every book published on the Island.

She said: "About 10 years ago the Education Department ran a programme which required parents to take out a book from the Bermudiana Collection and their child would get points.

"However we lost about 50 percent of our books and never saw them again. Some of these books are priceless.'' She said there would be no fine for returning Bermudiana Collection books. The library is planning to waive fines for other overdue books -- which are a maximum of $5 per book -- between November and New Year's.

Miss Brangman said: "We've lost 1,000 books since the library reopened in November 1997.'' The amnesty plan may include drop-off points so people can give back books anonymously. Miss Brangman also said the libraries need a massive funding boost in order to help fight illiteracy rates.

She said Bermuda's books service had suffered several budget cuts and lagged behind world standards: "The recommended international per capita standard for materials purchases is $3.50. Until, 1998 our per capital materials budget was 53 cents. It is now $1.25.' She called upon a community effort to tackle illiteracy which some experts say could affect as many as one in six Bermudians.

"The library is planning programmes to introduce children to the pleasure of reading,'' she said.

"One is the Born to Read programme, where parents of newborns will be given packets of information about the Youth Library to take with them when they leave the hospital.

"Another is the Reading Kiosk where members of the public will be invited to participate in readings at mobile stops.'' Miss Brangman deplored the fact that despite having one of the oldest libraries in the Western Hemisphere, it had never been an essential part of Bermudian life. She urged more locals to join up.

Miss Brangman also warned that lack of access to new information technology was in effect a new form of censorship.

She told Hamilton Rotarians yesterday: "Libraries all over the world are observing this week as Banned Books Week.

"It will take a well-funded and well-supported library to counteract a new, more subtle form of censorship -- access to information only for those who can afford it.'' "We believe libraries should be the information safety net for information have-nots,'' Miss Brangman said. "If the cost of technology becomes a barrier, we believe some members of our community may be in danger of being left out.

"It's no longer a luxury to have access to the Internet -- it has become a necessity to do a good job -- it's something the public expects.''