Warwickshire News Mine

The first roadshow and drop-in session was held at Alcester Library yesterday (Monday, March 28th, from 3.30pm to 6.30pm) and today (Tuesday, March 29th), there will be a roadshow and drop-in session at Hartshill Library from 10am until 1pm.

A public meeting to debate the proposals will then be held on the evening at 7.30pm, at the War Memorial Club in Bulkington.

During these meetings Warwickshire County Council officials will outline the proposals, why they came about, and explain how the consultation process works. After a short presentation, they will answer questions from the audience.

Cllr Colin Hayfield, portfolio-holder for Customers, Workforce and Partners said: “This is an opportunity for local people to get involved and have their say on proposals for a reshaping of library services. We need to know what people think and how they would be affected by the changes, if implemented. The Library and Information Service must cut costs by £2 million over the next three years. But feedback from consultation sessions like this will help county councillors decide on the best way forward in these difficult times.”

The proposals identify 16 Warwickshire libraries that are no longer sustainable in their current form, alongside other cost-cutting measures including reduced opening hours, reductions in the mobile library fleet and workforce, and cutting the number of public computers across the library network.

A 12-week public consultation began on March 18 and will run until June 9. A roadshow will visit all 34 Warwickshire libraries during the consultation period so people can find out more and ask questions face-to-face. Senior officers and a councillor will also attend a series of public meetings countywide.

The information now available online at http://www.warwickshire.gov.uk/libraryconsultation,  includes a factsheet for every Warwickshire library, giving details of visits, loan issues and costs, along with comparative performance figures across the network, and the Cabinet report county councillors considered on March 17.

Communities considering volunteer-run library services will have the facts and figures they need at their fingertips. People who don’t have access to the internet can request paper copies from any of Warwickshire’s 34 libraries, or from Shire Hall in Warwick.

A consultation questionnaire is available in all Warwickshire libraries and online.

Feedback received during the consultation will be collated, analysed and reported to Warwickshire County Council Cabinet on July 14 so councillors are fully informed before they make any final decisions.

Link to WCC