Run your library - and help stave off closure (From Thisisdorset)

Run your library - and help stave off closure

10:00am Wednesday 1st November 2006 in News By Gill Jenkins

VOLUNTEERS and community groups could be asked to run Dorset's threatened libraries.

Thirteen libraries in the county were facing closure earlier this year to save Dorset County Council £847,000 over the next three years as part of the county council's overall shortfall of £20 million.

But they were given a 12-month stay of execution in the summer to see if any other money-saving ideas would come forward.

Now it appears that Dorset County Council is considering asking local community groups to run their own local libraries and create a 'community-led service'.

Members of the council's cabinet are being asked today to approve a recommendation from the council's corporate service overview and policy development committee to approve the approach to 'avoid the possible closure of libraries'.

They are also being asked to approve a recommendation seeking the co-operation of local communities to get the scheme off the ground. A Dorset County Council spokesman said that no further details of what the scheme would involve would be made available until after cabinet members had made their decision.

But West Dorset District Councillor Tim Harries, who has campaigned against the closures, said that the running of libraries should be the responsibility of the county council and not volunteers.

"It's a cheek. They should be employing people to run the libraries like they do now. It's shameful.

"The whole situation is a shambles - they are not following up their responsibilities. They are there to run services like libraries, not to enable others to do their jobs for them," said Coun Harries.