| Topic: | Library consultation open - have your say | |
| Posted by: | Simon Hayes | |
| Date/Time: | 23/02/19 12:19:00 |
| Ealing Council has opened public consultation on its draft proposals for our library services. As reported before the idea is to either find volunteers to run seven branch libraries or close them. This includes West Ealing, Northfields and Hanwell. Main libraries in town centres will be retained but with reduced opening hours. The council cannot simply close all its libraries as it has a legal requirement to provide a service. However, its proposals will have a direct impact on library users and inevitably lead to a decline in usage and the range of books and services provided. This will have the biggest impact on people with young families, the elderly and the disabled, who may find it difficult to travel to central libraries. And the total saving to be made from decimating this service? £1.6million by 2023. That’s not much more than our councillors cost us about EVERY year with their allowances. I would urge anyone who wants to save our libraries to fill in the survey and submit it, just be careful about the wording- there is a political aim to close our libraries so make sure you state where appropriate that you want current levels of service to be main. Go to https://www.ealing.gov.uk/info/201042/current_consultations/2548/have_your_say_on_the_draft_ealing_library_strategy. |