12:03pm Friday 16th June 2006
By Dee Adcock
SCHOOLBOY Ryan Burden stole the show at County Hall in Dorchester when he pleaded with councillors to save Wyke Regis library.
Ryan, 13, a pupil at All Saints' School in Wyke Regis, urged members of a Dorset County Council committee to keep the library open and presented a petition he organised at school.
He dismissed the idea of using mobile libraries as alternatives to the axing of his local library and 12 others across Dorset.
Ryan told the council's corporate services overview and policy development committee: "Mobile libraries? Ha!
"In my petition I collected 80 names just from people at All Saints. How would we all fit into a mobile library within 15 minutes and use the same reference book for homework?"
He asked why money had been found to refurbish Weymouth seafront for the tourists yet library services for local people were to be cut.
He said: "How can you possibly provide a modern and relevant library service if people in Wyke Regis do not have a fixed library?
"My brother and I have had great difficulty doing homework this week as the libraries have been closed for training. This is what it would be like every week without Wyke Regis library."
His comments came before committee members agreed to recommend to the council's cabinet that consultation be extended until July next year and that other measures to reduce costs in the library service go ahead.
But they turned down a recommendation from director of corporate services Elaine Taylor that the cost of running the libraries in the extra year should come from the book fund.
Members said the extra time was needed to come up with 'fresh ideas' and they supported proposals for savings of nearly £250,000 from administrative changes.
The cabinet will consider the recommendations at a meeting on July 12.
Earlier at the meeting, Wyke Regis campaigner Rita Gould handed in two more petitions and listed reasons for retaining her library, including the computers and its convenient location.
She was one of a series of speakers members of the public and councillors who urged the committee to do what it could to save the libraries.
Portland town councillor Sandra West said the loss of Underhill library would affect the economy and take away a valuable facility from what had become a deprived area.
Coun Peter Farrell, who represents Weymouth town ward, suggested Weymouth library could help other nearby libraries by reducing its opening hours so that the others could open a bit longer and be used by more people. He had sometimes been the only person in there.
He had doubts about the way information in an efficiency review was used.
He said: "Statistically I could make a case for keeping Lytchett Matravers open and closing Weymouth.
"We need to drill down through these statistics.
"Closure has come across to the public as a fait accompli."
He added: "I don't believe losing 13 libraries would be an improvement for Dorset."
He wanted to see a county-wide review of the service.
Coun Tim Palmer picked up on the idea of altering hours in different libraries as a good example of the different approach needed to take the whole issue forward.
He said action was needed to deal with the budget shortfall.
He said: "We can't kick this into the long grass there's no long grass left in Dorset.
"We can't sweep it under the carpet either, because there's no carpet we're down to the bare boards."
Coun Ronald Coatsworth told committee members they should not continue with the proposal for an extra year's consultation, looking for ideas from the community to fund their libraries.
He said: "We've had a six-week consultation and you've had your answer and that answer was no."
The libraries listed for possible closure include Crossways, Puddletown, Chickerell and Wool.
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