SWEEPING changes are planned for West Sussex libraries, with reduced opening hours, staff cuts, fewer books bought and reference books available only when ordered through a local library.
These are the result of savings of more than £500,000 a year having to be made. Staff cuts and opening hours would result in £201,000 savings while £236,000 is earmarked for saving following a 16 per cent reduction of stock purchases and a 'consoli
dation' of ranges including newspapers and magazines. An additional £65,000 would be saved from the mobile library service.
This bleak outlook was outlined by Cllr Brad Watson, cabinet member responsible for libraries, at a meeting of the county's community services select committee on Friday.
It was in sharp contrast to a county council press release issued only eight days previously, which suggested that the library service was turning into 'a truly 21st century library and information service' with all libraries opening six days a week, including lunch hours - a big improvement.
Instead the committee was told that more 'populist' books were being planned as part of the changes proposed, with reference books available on a countywide services, rather than provided in each library. Money for the new emphasis on books would come from savings made through reducing reference books if the changes go ahead. Public consultation is proposed.
The aim is to reinvest the cash in the first year in changes and improvements, in response to reactions from library customers, including a further roll out of self-service scanning, introduction of more drop-off boxes and pick-up points, and the trial of new ideas such as downloadable music or 'e-options'.
Cllr Watson said: "We are talking about the need to harmonise what libraries do, and give as good a service as we can afford." The aim was to reflect what customers wanted, and equally they would be looking at working with a smaller budget.
Diane Ashby, director of operations, said a lot of work had been done on understanding how often books were used. Currently, every library had reference books used in a very specialised way, and very sporadically.
Cllr Steve Waight said that top of the list, when customers were asked what they used libraries for, was borrowing books, but it was now proposed to save £236,000 by buying less books.
Speaking to the WSG after the meeting, Cllr Waight said: "The top response from library users was that they wanted a wider range of books, and yet the proposal is to cut a significant amount from the purchase of books. Everyone understands that financial issues today mean that the library service has to be made as efficient as possible.
"But what I do have a problem with is the way in which it was suggested previously that there would be longer opening hours. This was clearly spin put on the issue by the county council.
"I went to Friday's meeting expecting to see a proposal for libraries opening six days a week, but it was not there. It is not as if the committee chose a different option - there was only one for consideration,which was clearly for less books and less opening hours overall. The public does not appreciate misleading 'spin'."
