Library plans get the go-ahead

Devon County Councillors today agreed plans aimed at keeping all the Council's libraries open and run by professional staff, despite significant reductions in the service's budget.

Members heard that Councils elsewhere have successfully transferred the delivery of their libraries to ‘mutuals’ or ‘trusts’ who run the libraries on the Councils’ behalf.  

And that library staff, previously employed by those Councils, have been retained and continue to professionally run their libraries, with local communities having a greater say in how their libraries are run.

Devon County Council thinks that it is a model that could work well for Devon. 

All communities with a library will get involved over time, but as a first step the Council wants to work with up to 10 communities as pilots to help shape the new organisation and try out new ways of involving the local community.

The plans were announced alongside others to invest in the service; to bring all 50 libraries up to the same high standard in having free wifi, and extending access to allow library users in some areas to use their library outside usual opening hours.

The changes help make the £1.5 million savings needed by the library service by 2016/17 due to cuts in Government funding.  

Transferring the service to a different model of delivery such as forming a mutual could save the Council at least £400,000 a year in business rates. 

It would also mean greater flexibility and give the service greater freedom to secure additional funding and income which the Council can not access.

The plans, published last week, have been cautiously welcomed by those the Council has spoken to, and by all political parties, but the Council acknowledges that a lot of work now has to be done to gain a better understanding of how the changes can be implemented.

Councillor Roger Croad, the Council's Cabinet Member with responsibility for the library service said: "Library users have told us how much they value their libraries and that they are prepared to support their library to improve the service.

"They have also told us that, while communities can be more involved, retaining our librarians is really important for libraries to continue to be run professionally.

"Community groups already provide support to some of our libraries, helping them to raise funds for improvements or to help out at events.  We would like each of our libraries to have the support of local groups in this way, and for them to have more of an influence about how their library is run.

Councillor Croad was questioned about the plans at today’s Cabinet committee meeting.  He said: “We realise that people will have questions about how plans will develop, and I am pleased to have had the opportunity today to answer some of them.”