Highbury Pool and Fitness Centre was proud to welcome Councillor Janet Burgess and Andy Ryan, Director of Stellar Libraries and Cityread London, on 19 April to launch 'bookswaps', a highly successful scheme between Aquaterra and Islington Council's Library and Heritage Services that has already led to over 500 books in the borough being swapped by residents.

 To celebrate the launch, Cityread London donated 40 copies of acclaimed bestseller 'A Week in December' by Sebastian Faulks, the chosen title for Cityread London 2013.

 Highbury Pool and Fitness Centre is the latest leisure centre to benefit from the scheme, which has already rolled out at Archway, Cally and Sobell leisure centres, with the Islington Tennis Centre to follow shortly.

 Bookswaps are being set up around the borough as part of the Council's 'Islington Reads' campaign, a pioneering community collaboration set up to share reading skills through venues across the borough and to promote wider reading amongst residents, including low income families, young people and the elderly.

 The scheme has enabled customers to pick up a book to read and either pass it on or replace the book with one of their own that they want to recommend. Customers are also actively encouraged to join and use their local library.

 Cityread London is an initiative designed to promote reading for pleasure, engage new library users and encourage people to explore and celebrate their City's history.

 Councillor Janet Burgess, Islington Council's executive member for health and wellbeing said

 "Islington Council is pleased to join forces with Aquaterra to launch this bookswap for Cityreads.

 "It's an excellent way to get more residents reading for the sheer pleasure it brings.

 "And sharing this novel by Sebastian Faulks, set in London, is a wonderful way to get to know one of Britain's great modern writers through his take on one of the world's great cities."

 Andy Ryan, Director of Stellar Libraries and Cityread London said

 "Cityread takes place in all 33 London boroughs, with each library service giving the campaign its own individual twist. Islington Libraries have once again come up with an amazing Cityread events programme, including a kids' poetry workshop at the Emirates, in partnership with Arsenal FC. 

 "Their book swapping scheme is another great example of how their library teams don't wait for people to come to them – they create a buzz around reading and books in unexpected places across the borough."

 Antony Kildare, Chief Executive of Aquaterra, said:

 "Aquaterra is delighted to be working in partnership to deliver this innovative and popular scheme and spread the benefits, joy and pleasure of reading at the heart of the communities we work with.

 "As a progressive, community focused organisation we are extremely keen to participate in projects that improve the quality of life of residents in Islington."

 The bookswap has also been supported by Penguin Books who have donated over 100 books courtesy of the Reading Agency through the Reading Partners.