Welsh government announces £2.25m rescue for National Library of Wales

The Welsh government has announced a £2.25m rescue package for the National Library of Wales after proposed cuts at the institution sparked uproar.

Thirty jobs were at risk of redundancy at the library in Aberystwyth, with warnings services would be cut back to slash costs. The Chartered Institute of Library & Information Professionals had called for the proposed cuts to be dropped while a petition asking for “fair funding” of the library was signed by more than 14,000 people and gained support from Philip Pullman among others.

Following a discussion in the Senedd this week, the Welsh government has now announced a £2.25m funding package to “safeguard jobs and deliver new strategic priorities”.

The announcement follows a review of the library last year which found its income had plummeted and “urgent attention” was needed to address its unsustainable financial position.

Deputy Minister for Culture, Sport & Tourism Lord Elis-Thomas said: “Since the publication of the findings of the tailored review in November 2020, the library has progressed significantly with the action plan to implement the review recommendations - this momentum and a focus on what needs to be done has allowed us to develop the necessary implementation budget.”

Meri Huws, president of the National Library of Wales, said: “I welcome the Welsh government's decision to provide this additional funding to the library, which means that we will be able to address the main recommendations of the tailored review as well as put our exciting new strategic plan in action.