Three at-risk Nottingham libraries have been saved from closure by altering the library opening times, Nottingham City Council has confirmed. On Thursday, January 17, the council’s Executive Board voted in favour of keeping all existing libraries open, but said it would shorten opening times across the library network.
The council will also modify Aspley Library to create a stock distribution and outreach hub while retaining it as a publicly accessible library. Earlier proposals would have seen the closure of Basford, Radford/Lenton and Aspley libraries, with Aspley’s being turned into a distribution hub for the library service.
However, after some savings were achieved through a staffing restructure in the libraries service, the council said only £79,000 of savings were needed from the original £233,000.
The council said this, along with the public feedback demonstrating the desire to keep libraries open, encouraged it to look again at how to achieve the necessary changes and savings needed to keep the libraries open.
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The report to Executive Board outlined that the revised proposals, which respond to the views and concerns raised by individuals and communities, would still enable the transformation to create a modern library service. It has also allowed the council to respond to financial pressures and the specific delivery of the required savings.
The council said the decision will allow the digital service and use to be expanded across the libraries, as well as ensuring a comprehensive service in light of local authority financial challenges. It has also allowed the council to deliver wider community needs and council priorities, such as literacy, learning, training and support into work, support to operating in a digital world and community health and well-being.
Keeping the libraries open will also increase opportunities to work in partnership with other public sector agencies and organisations to deliver shared outcomes, and address the needs of people for warm hubs, the local authority said.
Portfolio Holder for Leisure, Culture & Planning, Councillor Pavlos Kotsonis, said: “Today I am delighted to be in a position to say to those who use the libraries, who love borrowing our books, take their kids there, visit them because their home is too cold and the heating too expensive, those students who use them to do their homework and those who use them to use the WiFi connection, the people of of Radford, Aspley and Basford, all those who exercised their democratic right to fill in the consultation papers and those who campaigned and lobbied – their voices have been heard.
“The decision for the closure of the three libraries was put forward due to pressure to balance our budget. I am pleased we have been able to find ways to achieve the required savings without the need for those closures.”
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