THE Hive in Worcester has been named the most popular library in the West Midlands and in the top five in England.

In 2013-14, the library issued 903,859 books and was visited 978,199 times - beating both Oxford and Cambridge Central Libraries.

This has placed it top in the West Midlands for both, second in the country for the number of books loaned and fourth in the country for visit numbers - just two years after opening.

The Hive, a joint initiative between the University of Worcester and Worcestershire County Council, was opened by The Queen in July 2012 and has so far seen more than two million books issued and more than two million visits.

Anne Hannaford, director of information and learning services at the university, said: “The Hive is more than a library, not only does it have a quarter of a million books over five floors, but it is also home to the Worcestershire Archive and Archaeology Service.

"The variety of shared services brings so much more to the University and the community.

"The partnership is a brand new concept in libraries and improves services for everyone.

"The Hive is open for 95 hours a week and creates a whole new way of library users living and working together.

"It works so well because of our shared values."

The latest figures were compiled by the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy (CIPFA).

So far, The Hive has received or been shortlisted for 48 national and international awards.

The University of Worcester was recently shortlisted for The Times Higher Award for Outstanding Contribution to the Local Community through its part in the development.