January 25, 2024 - 387 views
Conwy’s Library Service is seeking permission from councillors to consult as part of a review of library opening hours.
In the coming weeks, members of the Economy and Place Scrutiny Committee and Cabinet will be asked to give the green light for a consultation with the public.
Every Council service has to find significant financial savings for 2024/25, including Conwy Library Service.
The Library Service budget has reduced every year since 2009 and it is no longer possible to find savings without changing the way services are delivered.
Cllr Aaron Wynne, Cabinet Member for Culture & Leisure, said, “We’re faced with the difficult choice of reducing opening hours across all libraries or to close a number of sites.
“We hope that if financial circumstances improve we can reinstate any lost hours, whereas once a library building closes it’s very difficult to re-open it. With that in mind, we’re putting forward three options for customers to consider, based around reducing opening hours to prevent the closure of any libraries, and to help the service plan for the future.”
If Councillors agree to the consultation, the Library Service will ask people for their opinions on the three options.
The consultation is expected to start mid-February, and the results will be taken back to Councillors for a decision in June before implementation in the summer of 2024.
