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June 2, 2006
13 libraries in Dorset will close forever next month
Philip Nash writes from Dorset
"Unfortunately I'm sorry to have to say that Dorset's Libraries too are under threat. Dorset County Council has proposed the closure of 13 libraries in Dorset, that’s a third of all libraries in Dorset. After initially proposing a timetable of closure in just eighty days the Council has proposed an extension of one month, they are still talking about going ahead in July. Nearly all of these libraries are in rural areas and the closure of any of them will affect the young and the elderly the most in all thirteen locations. My local library is threatened with closure, it has been a reading room for 120 years. The campaign to stop these proposals is well under way and I am trying to publicize these measures as much as possible by setting up a web site at http://www.dorsetforme.org."
I looked at the Council statement: their budget problem requires £280,000 saving. The whole library service costs £8m per annum: therefore the saving required is 3.5%. Nowhere is there an explanation of why they have decided to close libraries to make the saving rather than attempt to find easily available economies in the council office. It's very hard to understand what is going on. As with Devon and Bucks one has to ask "What information was given to the county councillors to persuade them to make this strange decision?"
Posted by Tim Coates at June 2, 2006 8:54 AM
Comments
I live in Charmouth, one of the local libraries under threat in Dorset. I'm pleased to say that Dorset DCC have extended the consultation period until March 2009. Contrary to what your comments imply, the reason the closure programme has not been completed already is because of a significant number of county councillors, who are members of the controlling Tory group, refusing to vote for the proposal as it stands. The Parish Council here in Charmouth are actively pursuing a policy of making better use of the purpose-built modern library building we have. At the moment it is used for just 10 hours per week by the Dorset CC Library Service. We are not done yet. Watch this space!
Posted by: Mike Davies at December 6, 2006 2:57 PM