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LIBRARIES TO FACE THE AXE
Helmsley Library
THREE libraries in Ryedale could face closure under £2 million budget cuts, it has been announced.
Facing the chop in the proposals from North Yorkshire County Council are the libraries in Norton, Kirkbymoorside and Helmsley, the council’s reigning Library of the Year.
The council has also announced plans to take its fleet of 10 mobile libraries off the road and replace them with an extra “super-mobile” library.
The main libraries at Pickering and Malton, Scarborough, Filey and Whitby would be among those retained.
Currently, the council runs 42 libraries, the 10 mobile libraries and a super-mobile library with internet technology.
However, under the plans that framework would be condensed to 18 libraries and two super-mobile links.
It hopes that “wherever possible” libraries will be supplemented by a network of smaller libraries run by the community with council support.
The announcement is particularly galling for supporters of Helmsley Library which, just a few months ago and to great fanfare, was named North Yorkshire County Council’s Library of the Year after improving in all areas of business and exceeding its targets.
Since opening in its new location at the Town Hall alongside the Ryedale District Council service team, the library had welcomed 250 new members with more than 1,500 people borrowing books, using the internet and taking part in activities.
And visitors had increased to 45,000 a year – up 30 per cent on the previous 12 months.
Helmsley Cllr Martin Vander Weyer said a closure of the library would be a “rotten blow” to the town.
“The library we have now reopened around two years ago after a very long delay while the county library service moved it from one part of the town hall to where it is now, which is a very attractive and prominent position,” he said. “It is now bang in the middle of the town hall and has been a great success.
“It is very well used by book borrowers and internet users and as a resource centre so it would be completely absurd to close it for what would, I imagine, a very small financial saving.
‘’You can rest assured that Helmsley Town Councillors will oppose any decision to close it as forcefully as they can.”
And Howard Keal, a district councillor for Norton, said: “Our library users need to let the county council know exactly what they think of the proposals.
‘‘Yet again we have the town with the larger population being targeted for the loss of a valuable service. While the authority has side-stepped directly saying which libraries are on the hit list it’s clear where the axe is intended to fall.
“We need an assurance that if this goes ahead a share of the savings would be ploughed into improvements for all.
“Any switch to one site for the two towns must not just be about savaging the library service.”
The council is putting forward the plans for public consultation with a final decision expected in February.
County Cllr Christ Metcalfe, the council’s executive for Adult and Community Services, said the authority was aware of the effect widespread closures would bring.
He said: “We have to ask some fundamental questions and it is not just about saving money.
“It is also about providing the best service we can to the largest number of people, about adapting the libraries to meet changing demands from library users and about ensuring that all our taxpayers get the best value for their money.
“We are convinced that an essential element of maintaining high quality service is to provide staffed libraries in those key towns with the best transport links.”
Derek Law, the council’s corporate director of adult and community services, appeased fears over potential moves to hand power of libraries to community groups.
He added: “These plans allow the library to be totally responsive to local needs, but they also ensure the continuation of highly-valued community facilities.
‘’The reality is the library service is extremely expensive and is not always very well used.
“We have already saved £1 million in the past three years but the fact is that savings of the kind that are now required cannot be made through efficiencies.”
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Thursday 24 May 2012
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