A campaign group seeking to save three vital Nottingham libraries from closure fears attempts may be made to have them operated by volunteers. The group says libraries are "nothing without library staff" and volunteer-run schemes generally favour more affluent areas.
Labour-run Nottingham City Council is proposing to close Basford Library in Vernon Road, the Radford Lenton Library in Lenton Boulevard and Aspley Library in Nuthall Road in a bid to save £233,000. Rising pressure came to a head recently for the council as the Conservative Government, at least before it was disbanded, said it was now "minded" to send in the commissioners.
The council had been making progress to balance its books through numerous controversial proposals, including the axing of three libraries in some of the most deprived areas of Nottingham. A petition, started by Save Nottingham Libraries and signed by almost 3,000 people, was handed to the council at the Council House on Monday, July 11.
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A number of councillors met with the group outside the Council House, holding up boxes of signatures, including Labour and Aspley's Carole McCulloch, Bilborough's Phil Jackson, Bulwell's Maria Joannou and Radford's Hassam Ahmed. Speaking to Nottinghamshire Live afterwards councillor Ahmed said: "It's not a question of backing the campaign, it is a matter of accepting the petition. We have all said what we wanted to."
The group told Nottinghamshire Live it has been made aware of discussions surrounding making libraries volunteer-run. It has condemned this development and an open letter has now been written and signed by around 300 people.
Many of the signatures include librarians, library users, however one signatory is city councillor Phil Jackson, who represents Bilborough. Clifton independent councillors Maria Watson, for Clifton east, Kirsty Jones, for Clifton east, and Kevin Clarke, for Clifton east, also signed the letter.
It has also been argued libraries can act as safe, warm and free places of refuge for many as the costs of living continue to soar. The open letter says: "Recently we have been made aware that councillors are discussing volunteer-run libraries as a way to assuage the public anger generated by their attempt to close three of the most beautiful libraries in Nottingham.
"Libraries would be nothing without library staff, both librarians and library assistants. Dedicated workers have experience, training, and a knowledge of library stock and the library system. They are also the human face of the library service, and the human contact they offer is reliable and invaluable.
"Library users enjoy seeing the same staff regularly, and the trust and relationships built up are important to community and social cohesion. Without them, libraries would be just rooms with (probably untidy) books.
"This is not all though. These three libraries are in some of the most deprived wards in the city. Trying to foist the cost of running libraries onto these already squeezed communities is wrong and would increase inequality.
"It is important to recognise that volunteer-run libraries favour wealthier areas; successful examples of volunteer-run libraries are in areas such as these where people have the time and resources to run a professional library service. There are also safeguarding concerns about volunteer-run libraries."
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