Budget cuts leave Warwick Library with an uncertain future

[dutchman]

The future of Warwick Library is up in the air with a decision yet to be made on a proposed move into Shire Hall.


Shire Hall

Last week at a meeting of Warwick Town Council, proposed changes to the library service were debated with Warwickshire Libraries representatives.

There was unanimous concern over any possibility of losing the library, and at the proposed reduction in opening hours.

At the meeting head of libraries strategy Ayub Kahn said: “Warwickshire County Council has to make unprecedented cuts of £60m, and libraries have to take a £2m cut as part of that.

“We are looking at a transformation program, and there is a public consultation until June 9.”

Initial plans for Warwick Library in Barrack Street are to reduce its opening hours to 35 hours a week, but Mr Kahn and his colleague, head of libraries operations Linda Smith, admitted that a move into Shire Hall is being seriously looked at.

Cllr Anne Mellor (Con, Warwick South) said: “Where will the 35 hours be allocated? How are we going to keep office hours for people who want to use the library after school or work?

“It’s very important for youngsters to know how to use a library.”

Cllr Bob Dhillon (Con, Warwick West) also raised concerns about securing a future for the libraries.

He said: “What are you going to do to reinvent yourselves? Because I can’t see a future for libraries, my kids just use the internet now.

“Whenever I do cost cutting in any of my organisations I always leave enough money to modernise what is left, but I don’t see any of that in the county council. I criticise them because they don’t have a vision, it’s just cut, cut, cut.”

Linda Smith responded: “We do have very successful author events and coffee mornings at Warwick Library which have attracted a lot of people.

“The decisions on which libraries are unsustainable are based around footfall, visits and loans. If the library moved into Shire Hall that could maintain the opening hours, as it’s open longer than any of our libraries.”

However, Mr Kahn did admit that the move would give them less space and many archives would have to be moved.

Mayor of Warwick Cllr Michael Kinson said: “We’re concerned that we keep the facility. We are greedy in Warwick and need to keep what we can.”