News

Cuts to hit Liverpool library services

05.01.12 | Lisa Campbell

Liverpool is the latest city to suffer library cuts as the council announced three locations will close in a bid to save £2.2m a year.

Liverpool Council revealed the closures last night (4th January), along with reducing opening hours at 17 other libraries, axing the equivalent of 76 jobs and scrapping its mobile library service, the Liverpool Echo reports.

The council claims the measures will save £2.2m a year from its £8m library budget. Cllr Wendy Simon, cabinet member for leisure and culture, said: “Given the current financial situation we face, doing nothing is not an option if we want to invest in maintaining a modern and comprehensive libraries service."

The libraries proposed for closure are in Close Edge Hill, Woolton and Great Homer Street.

Libraries campaigner Desmond Clarke said he was in "no doubt" a campaign group would rise up in Liverpool to fight the closures as they had done in other areas across the country threatened with library caulaties, such as Somerset, Gloucestershire, Brent and the Isle of Wight.

Clarke said: "The agenda is not being set by professionals or the government but by library protestors. The public is saying ‘we are not happy about libraries being closed’ and that is putting it in the spotlight."

Yesterday, councillors told Somerset County Council if it does not halt cuts to its library service it could be held in “contempt of court” after a High Court judicial review in November found the cuts should not go ahead because they were unlawful under the council's obligation to provide a "comprehensive and efficient library service for all those wishing to use it".

Clarke added: “We have to do persuade councillors that libraries are really important."

 

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By Anonymous Badgers

Clarke added: “We have to do persuade councillors that libraries are really important."

Everyone agrees with you, Desmond, so what would you close instead? Social services? Parks? Sports development? Arts? Less money for schools?

Now this government has imposed 30% cuts on councils and told them to make the cuts in the first year, with no time to think about where to best make cuts, and now following the Autumn statement councils are expecting an extra £20 billion worth of cuts to largely fall on them, cuts there will have to be.

So, if not libraries, then what?

To not have an answer to this question is highly irresponsible.

Thu, 05/01/2012 - 16:26
By AnonII

I think it was council officers who told councillors (specifically cabinet members) at Somerset, rather than councillors telling the council.

Thu, 05/01/2012 - 17:51
By Desmond Clarke

There is much that can be done other than simply taking the axe to library services. For example, Westminster Council expects to reduce its operating costs by £1.1 million by merging its library service with those of two neighbouring authorities. We don't need to have 151 separately managed authorities in England, a 50% increase in the number of authorities that existed just fifteen years ago! We can make better use of technology and improve further operational efficiency. And if we need to develop volunteer supported libraries, we must develop a workable model which ensures that the service is sustainable and can be supported by librarians.
This is the time for imaginative solutions and making the optimum use of available resources to the benefit of those who rely upon public libraries. Fortunately, there are some councils that are doing just that.

Thu, 05/01/2012 - 17:56

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