Residents Asked To Have Their Say On Future Of Library Service

Torfaen council is asking users of the borough’s three libraries to have their say on the future of the service. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

In March 2016 the council agreed to reduce the annual budget for the library service by £250,000 as part of a wider suite of measures to address a projected shortfall of £26million over the three years from 2016 – 2019. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

A review of the service has been carried out to identify where savings can be made and users are being asked to state their preference for three options: ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

– Reducing the manned book loan service in all three libraries to the equivalent of three days per week. Self-service options will be available on the non-manned days that will enable customers to check out and return books themselves. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

– Reducing the manned book loan service in Blaenavon and Pontypool to the equivalent of two and a half days per week, and Cwmbran to the equivalent of four days per week. Self-service options will be available on the non-manned days that will enable customers to check out and return books themselves. (This option is calculated to recognise the spread of customers using the library service across the borough. It also takes into account Cwmbran Library’s position as one of Wales’s libraries of strategic importance, and the range of the resources on offer there) ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

– Closing a library. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Councillor Lewis Jones, executive member for regeneration, said: “We have no desire to close any of our libraries and have come up with two alternative options that allow us to make the required savings while keeping all libraries open. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

“Reducing the manned book loan service in favour of self service would mean that we can keep all libraries open and continue to deliver the wide range of community support and activities that our libraries provide.” ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Torfaen currently has three libraries in Cwmbran, Pontypool and Blaenavon, delivering a wide range of community information, support and activities, in addition to the well understood book loan service. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Over the past four years the library service has been required to reduce its budget by £315,000. This has been achieved by the closure of one library and the removal of the mobile library service, the co-location of Blaenavon Library into the World Heritage Centre, and the co-location of the Cwmbran Customer Care Centre into Cwmbran Library. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

The report is also being considered by the council’s Cleaner Communities scrutiny committee and the results of both the scrutiny activity, and the public consultation, will be presented to the council’s cabinet to make a decision early next year. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​