‘Drop in ocean’ £30k cut from library book fund
CAMPAIGNERS have criticised Bristol City Council for cutting £30,000 from its library books fund.
The money, which is just over five per cent of the £560,000 reading materials annual budget, is being redirected to help pay for a new regeneration service.
Mayor Marvin Rees told a cabinet meeting that the new team would work across the council coordinating with communities, developers and other stakeholders to “build the physical, social and community infrastructure needed” to support the city’s growing population.
But a report to members said it would have to be paid for by transferring resources from other parts of the growth and regeneration directorate, including leaving some long-term vacancies unfilled and taking £30,000 from library books money.
Deputy mayor Asher Craig insisted the amount was a “drop in the ocean” and would “not break any banks”.
Speaking during the meeting’s public forum, Merche Clark, a Lib Dem candidate for Clifton Down at last month’s local elections, said the Friends of Redland Library had asked for the cuts to be withdrawn.
She said: “Libraries should be at the core of communities as they offer the possibility for personal transformation and growth. They are personal regeneration hubs.
“It is paramount that existing libraries can continue to offer these opportunities to their communities.
“A rich and varied book stock is essential to this, and that stock should be both electronic and paper based.
“We hope the new regeneration service recognises the important community services that libraries offer and we trust that libraries will be central features in plans for all new communities.”
Replying to a question from Lockleaze ward Green Cllr David Wilcox, who asked how much of the library services fund the £30,000 represented, Cllr Craig said: “It is not very big.
“We already invest a large amount of money through the libraries innovation fund - that’s £100,000 we’re investing directly into community groups and projects associated with libraries.
We are delivering on the city’s culture in many ways. Culture isn’t just about venues in the middle of the city, culture is about what it’s like to live in a place Mayor Marvin Rees
“So £30,000 is a mere drop in the ocean to the budget.
“We have also just invested a large amount of money in changing over all our ICT equipment in our libraries.
“We do spend a significant amount of money on books. £30,000 is not going to break any banks.”
A council spokesperson confirmed afterwards that the 2021/22 library budget was £4.65million, of which £560,000 was allocated for books.
They said it meant the £30,000 was 0.6 per cent of the total library budget.
Cllr Wilcox told the meeting: “The creation of the regeneration service is taking £242,000 from the cultural services budget, and the decision pathway for the extension of the cultural investment programme is asking for a budget increase of £636,000.
“Isn’t this robbing Peter to pay Paul?”
Mr Rees replied: “No, because we are delivering on the city’s culture in many ways. Culture isn’t just about venues in the middle of the city, culture is about what it’s like to live in a place.
“If we fail to deliver as a city, someone without a home is not really participating in the city’s culture, they won’t have the financial or emotional space to do so, so we are delivering for the whole city.
“And we have to make sure that by delivering, building homes for people in the right way and the right places, it means people can participate in an inclusive city culture.”
Mr Rees added: “This report is all about delivery. This will help us deliver our aspirations of sustainable and inclusive growth.
“We have delivered on a lot over the last few years but we have also experienced the frustrations that have come in the face of that delivery due to a shortfall in dedicated resources.
“So this new multi-disciplinary regeneration team will work across the council improving internal systems and coordination across our departments to provide a single coherent voice.
“It will mean we can take placebased approaches to drive and deliver inclusive sustainable growth.
“Other departments of the council will continue to focus on their own delivery, including housing delivery, but this is more investment and reorganisation of the organisation to make sure we are delivering at the scale and pace and in the way and to the standards that the city needs and deserves.”