Moving library just not worth all the upheaval

I’m in the middle of a degree studying criminal psychology, the same question always gets asked .... “is it a matter of nature or nurture?” ...... it’s a hard one to answer when you try and break it down. Pete Best former Beatle, Billy Connolly, comedian, Graham Price, former rugby player, Susan Gilmore, actress, Sir Ian Botham, broadcaster, charity fundraiser and former cricketer, Denise Crosby, actress, Paul Thorburn, former rugby player, Colin Hanks, actor, Katherine Heigl actress, I ATTENDED a meeting of Almondbury Library Friends Association.

By the time the meeting started it was standing room only.

The only item on the agenda was the Library Service preference to move the library to the Children’s Centre.

There was a lively exchange of views, but the consensus was that people preferred to keep the library where it was.

The community backed ALFA in their stance against moving.

As the group were the ones who provided the volunteers to work alongside a paid worker and the group were the ones organising community activities, at the moment, with others in the pipeline, they were unanimous in their support for retaining a purpose-built library with disabled access in the short and long term.

I, as a councillor, have to take note of the feelings of people in the ward and, after being involved with ALFA since the beginning, I think that the upheaval is not worth the few pennies the council would possibly save by a move.

I did stress at the meeting that the library, if it were to remain where it was, had to open longer beyond the core 15 hours when a paid worker was present.

To justify its existence in its present premises, more volunteers would be needed to keep the place a genuine community hub.

It is with the above proviso that I support ALFA and will work to preserve a library service in the Carnegie Library on Stocks Walk in Almondbury.