Interesting is the merging of One-Stop-Shop staff with library staff in three libraries – will library use fall as a result? (There hasn’t been a professional librarian directly managing these libraries for a long time.)

An equality impact assessment is mentioned but not linked to – one of the three library closures is in a multicultural area, another an economically inactive area. The cost of meeting DDA requirements is given as a reason for closures of these libraries but this is misleading as it only applies to one of the libraries. The crux of the matter I think is an estimated £3 million required to refurbish these libraries so as to ensure they do not drain the maintenance future budget. As usual we get the assertion that these cuts fall within the requirements of the 1964 Act (merging One-Stop-Shop staff!!), the rub appears to be the councillor whose portfolio the libraries fall under has been advised by the DCMS that all they need provide is a comprehensive service, not necessarily efficient for anyone to use in particular (so the value of using it will have to be proportionally higher for an individual to put the time and resources into using it) – the DCMS were instructed by the department for local government and communities to “drop” the standards for public library service in 2007 to ease the financial burden on local councils, meanwhile the public are wondering what happened to democracy that all their community libraries are on the way out!

As to staffing levels — I am not sure if the ~50 staff losses the past year are unfilled posts. Around 25 posts I think will be Sunday staff (very possibly including myself).

As to the budget – Nov. 11 the picture was for a million in cuts each of the next three years. The current passed proposals seem to be saying £2.2 million next year, and if the council want to any further cuts to be made there is a further option.

I would add 2010/11 we have already had £90 million council cuts (~ 50 library staff have left) bringing the library budget down to the current £8 million.

With their huge majority the Conservatives are going to win anyway so I fail to see why they can’t at least answer questions and listen to what people are saying to them. They may even learn something if they did!