Aberdeen scraps plans to shut down 16 libraries

Aberdeen City Council has ditched plans to close 16 of its 17 libraries, but the future of seven facilities in the London Borough of Ealing is still under threat as local authorities are forced to make cuts.

The Scottish local authority had proposed radical cuts that would have seen it keep just one central library in the city centre in a bid to make savings of £863,000. The measure was one of many in a £45m cuts package due to be considered at a budget meeting on Tuesday 5th March. But in a sharp u-turn the library cuts were dropped, with co-leader Douglas Lumsden telling the Aberdeen Evening Express the closures would be a “draconian step”.

Scottish Book Trust had warned ahead of the meeting the loss of so many libraries would have a “devastating impact” on the local community.

Marc Lambert, Scottish Book Trust c.e.o, said: “As a charity that works closely with libraries to encourage all aspects of reading and writing, we know the incredible work librarians do, and the impact they make on the wider community.

“Many of our programmes, such as Book Week Scotland, would not be possible without libraries and the hard work of their staff. We support the need for, and importance of, libraries and believe that the proposed cuts will have a lasting and damaging impact.”

Libraries have come under increasing pressure in recent years as councils look to cut back services in an effort to cope with a squeeze on their funding from central government. In west London, Ealing Council has announced a consultation on closing seven out of its 13 libraries unless community groups come forward to run them.

The changes are part of a cuts package aimed at slashing £57m from the council’s budget as the local authority struggles to cope with its “toughest financial challenges in living memory”. Council chiefs say they have lost £143million in government funding since austerity measures were introduced in 2010.

Under the proposals, the four main council-run libraries in the borough would remain open, with a slight reduction in opening hours, alongside another two branches. But facilities in Greenford, Hanwell, Northfields, Perivale, West Ealing, Wood End and Pitshanger are all under threat. Council officers warned in a report that, without community partners “these libraries would close”.

Community-run libraries would need to offer books, ebooks, audio and e-magazines, digital newspapers, public access computers and the internet.

Ealing took its library services back in-house last February after the collapse of contractor Carillion and an anti-outsourcing petition signed by around 3,000 people supported by Benjamin Zephaniah and Michael Rosen.

A new petition to keep the seven threatened libraries open, whether or not a community organisation comes forward, has been signed by more than 500 people since it was set up on 22nd February.

Councillor Jasbir Anand, Ealing’s cabinet member for business and community services, said: “There are as many as 400 community managed libraries across the country and many local authorities are considering this model in the face of the cuts to their government grant. We value libraries, and we know that our communities do too, and our proposals reflect this.

“During the consultation, there will be opportunities for community groups to meet with us, as well as operators of community managed libraries from other parts of the country, to find out more. I hope as many people as possible get involved.”

The Bookseller has approached Aberdeen City Council for a comment.