Cumbria County Council's main South Lakes library has been adapted to allow any visitor with a modern wireless-enabled laptop computer to access the internet.
The new high-tech service is being trialled in Kendal over the next six months and if successful, could be rolled out to other libraries in Cumbria.
People with their own laptops or PDAs (Personal Digital Assistant or hand-help computers) can now surf the internet without cable connections.
For just a few pounds, visitors to the Kendal library are given a special username and password which they can use to access the service anywhere on the building's first-floor.
The new service costs from £2.00 for an hour's surfing, to £7.50 for a full-day (eight hours). Four hour's access costs £5.00.
Councillor Gary Strong, cabinet member responsible for the county's Library Service, said: "Kendal library's new wi-fi service will enable more people than ever before to use the library to access the internet.
"It is also a great way of switching new people on to the benefits of the county council's library service: whether it is business people who need to keep in touch with the office or tourists reporting home."
All of Cumbria's libraries have public computers will high-speed broadband access. Internet access on these computers normally costs £1 for half an hour's surfing and 50p for 15 minutes.
Information on these and other library services are available on the county council's website www.cumbria.gov.uk\libraries
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Media enquiries to Mark Graham, Media Officer on 01228-606337