Reproduced with acknowledgements to the Hounslow Chronicle
By Jessica Thompson
RESIDENTS have reacted to a council decision to delay library closure proposals.
RESIDENTS have reacted to a council decision to delay library closure proposals.
The authority announced on Tuesday that it would minimise cuts to front line services after residents swamped them with responses during the public budget consultation.
It will be deferring some book purchases up to the value of £300,000, minimising the risk of library closure, while a more specific library consultation is under way.
But the libraries are not safe yet. The proposal to make immediate savings in this way still leaves a shortfall of £569,300 from the total amount that needs to be shaved from the library services budget. Libraries are still at risk.
Community members have been in touch with The Chronicle since the news broke, as well as discussing the plans on internet forums.
Below are some of the responses:
Cllr Sachin Gupta, Labour councillor for the Bedfont ward, said: "This is more positive than how things were before. It will give us the time now to work on it in more detail.
"This will buy us more time to work on a strategy. The world is changing and we probably have to change as well, it's just how we do it. There was hardly any time for people to respond when it was first announced. It's positive".
Brentford resident and campaigner Hazel Dakers said: "I think it's great that there has been a postponement of the destruction of eight branch libraries in Hounslow. However I am dismayed that the council statement implies that libraries are merely buildings. For a library service to be "alive" and relevant it must have a continuous flow of new book stock (and other media).
"Closing book funds inevitably causes level of use to drop off and then the council can say they may as well close down the branches".
Phil Andrews on the TW8 Brentford forum, said: "The Chronicle article doesn't read to me like an unqualified victory for the residents, just a consultation extended for an unspecified time, on unspecified terms at the end of which the local authority, if it didn't have the money before to keep our libraries open and functioning properly, will still not have the money to keep them open and functioning property.
1 comment:
"A library without books is like a swimming pool without water"
Anon.
It is appalling that Hounslow is considering reducing library services.
This will surely contravene the spirit of the 1964 Libraries Act which states each authority should provide an efficient and comprehensive library service.
It will deny future generations easy access to books and their love of reading and reading development.
A local library service should be just that, local. Neither the old, nor those with young children wish or should need to travel far.
At the time of the proposed refurbishment of Isleworth library, over a year ago, a key selling point for the work was that there would be increased opening hours. Having spent all this money is this now all to go to waste?
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