That’s the word being spread by the Armidale Dumaresq Library and with Valentine’s Day looming for the unattached it might seem like short notice.

But our local library has a solution - blind dating.

Not the terrifying, sweaty-palmed, awkward and ‘please hide me under the table’ variety of blind dating, but more a gentle introduction to one of life’s most abiding pleasures, reading.

In the lead up to Valentine’s Day or, more importantly, National Library Lover’s Day on Saturday, the Armidale Library will have a selection of ‘hot dates’ just waiting to sweep you off your feet.

Library staff have lovingly selected a range of books and wrapped them in paper to keep a little mystery in the relationship.

With only scintillating phrases and words on that wrapping to hint at the contents you can expect all the excitement and surprise of a traditional blind date.

Annette Goodwin from the Armidale Library said that the staff was looking forward to the blind dates, they’ll be available this Friday.

“We’ve got the staff to make recommendations.

“We have 13 staff and each has picked three books. They all have different tastes so there will be more than 40 ‘dates’ to choose from,” she said.

Don’t expect the books to be packed with Mr Darcys’, Heathcliffs’ and Casanovas’ because romance isn’t the only genre on offer.

“There’s fiction, there’s non-fiction, there are biographies, craft books, photography books and short stories.

“It’s a fun way of celebrating National Library Lover’s day and it’s also a way of getting people to try something that they normally wouldn’t pick up in the library. They’ll be surprised what they take home.”

Be warned, the dates are limited and it’s first in best dressed with one per person - no speed dating!

Just like the real thing this literary version of blind dating means that you could be taking home a real winner - or not, but at the very least there will be no guilt about taking home your date after such a short courtship.

“The idea is to widen people’s appreciation and expose what’s in our collection, our hidden treasures,” Annette said.

“Some of them are new, some of them are classics, some of them are just weird.”

Again, just like the real thing.