FRESH public consultation about the future of libraries across the borough begins today as figures reveal just seven per cent of the population is borrowing items from Barnsley’s 15 libraries.
An all-new Central Library is currently under construction and due to open autumn next year, and there are 14 other libraries in communities across the borough.
The council says it does not intend to close any, but it does need to save £165,000 from the library’s £1.6m budget, a cut of roughly ten per cent, by 2020.
To do that there will have to be changes to how libraries operate which could mean moving some into different buildings - although there are no proposals to do so at present.
There were 16,100 active borrowers of books and other library material over the last year - just seven per cent of Barnsley’s population. This has fallen from 25,500 borrowers since 2013 - a drop of 37 per cent over four years.
The council said it wants to conduct a widespread and in depth talks with communities talking to people about how they use libraries, and why they don’t use them, before coming up with a grand plan next summer.
The council said it will be talking to local communities in more depth about their local libraries, with a view to creating a ‘modernised library service’ with the new central library at its heart.
The exercise is an extension of the conversations that took place last year, and will help the council to get a deeper understanding of individual libraries and the needs of every local community.
Coun Jenny Platts said the council needed to save £872,000 from its customer services budget, which includes saving £165,000 on library services, and this means the way libraries are run must change.
“Each area of Barnsley has its own needs and we need to create a library service to meet these needs,” she said.
“Partners and community groups have already told us they’d like to be involved. We’re not planning to close libraries at this time, but to create a more effective and efficient service.
“We know that people are using less traditional library services they’re going online and using libraries as meeting places and for activities. We know that only seven per cent of people living in Barnsley borrow from libraries.
“We need to use more IT and digital technology as well as exploring new opening hours and management models.
“This is a chance for our communities and partners to have their say and re-energise their local libraries.”
Options might include sharing facilities with other services and organisations. Any changes would have to meet the statutory requirements of the Public Libraries Act.
Coun Platts said the council will be talking directly with community groups and partners in each area to get as much feedback as possible on all of Barnsley’s libraries.
The engagement period will take place from today until January 2018, and it is expected proposals for a modernised library service will be unveiled next summer.
She said there would at this point be a formal public consultation before any decisions are made and any changes will come into effect in 2019.
For a link to the council’s online consultation, click here. For people who can’t get online, a small number of paper forms will be available at libraries.
