Ways to trim £100k off libraries explored

VOLUNTEERS COULD BE USED MORE TO DELIVER SERVICES

Local Democracy Reporter THE future of Northumberland’s library service is under scrutiny as the council announced the services must make £100,000 in savings.

A report to councillors reveals discussions on consolidating the library estate and the potential of opening hub libraries in core areas to help make savings.

At Tuesday’s cabinet meeting it was agreed that a 12-week consultation will take place this autumn to gather people’s opinions on the future of the service.

The hubs would coordinate provision and support a network of satellite facilities “which may be Northumberland County Council-operated, community-supported, community-led or independent”.

The document explains that community-supported libraries are council-led and funded, but with significant support by volunteers, while community-led facilities are delivered by the community, usually without paid staff but with some form of council support – as already seen in Haydon Bridge and Heddon.

Presenting the report, Coun Cath Homer, the Conservative cabinet member for arts, culture, leisure and tourism, said: “The library service we inherited in 2017 – it’s hard to emphasise how fragmented it was.”

She highlighted that between 2015 and 2017, under the previous Labour administration, visitors to the county’s libraries decreased by 11.5%, the number of books issued was down by 31.4% and membership declined by 12%.

In 2015-16, more than one third of the staff were made redundant, including most of the professionally qualified librarians. “Staff morale was really low within the service because of all that history,” Coun Homer said, pointing out that the service and its staff have since been transferred back to the council from Active Northumberland. “We are at the point where we have stabilised the service, but we now need to take it forward,” she added.

The report states that the council “is demonstrating its commitment to the provision of a comprehensive and efficient library service by Coun Cath Homer planning new libraries in Alnwick, Morpeth, Ponteland and Cramlington”.

The cabinet also agreed to spend up to £100,000 from reserves “to support the accelerated transformation of the service over the next 12 months” by buying additional books and enhancing the range of digital resources.

However, the report notes that the service has to make savings of £100,000 in 2020-21 and the same again the following year, which “will be achieved through a consolidated, more sustainable network of buildings, increased collaborative provision and a wider digital offer”.

After the meeting, Coun Scott Dickinson, deputy leader of the Northumberland Labour Group, said: “A move towards more voluntary-led libraries is essentially wallpapering over the cracks of nine years of Tory cuts.”

We are at a point where we’ve stabilised what was a fragmented service. We need to take it forward