Wakefield up to 12 branches may go, 2 possible moves elsewhere

• Doncaster – 2-tier service, with no winners – Save Doncaster Libraries.   Some interesting but very slanted figures from the Council on the performance of its volunteer-run libraries, picked apart by the Doncaster campaigners.
  • Expanded library re-opens – Doncaster Free Press.  “Wombwell library re-opens today with a brand new look. The centrally-located building has undergone a four-week refit.”
• Gloucestershire – Volunteers get power to take over running library – This is Gloucestershire. “Volunteers have been given the go-ahead to take over running Brockworth Library. But a dampner has been put on celebrations after the parish council refused a request for £45,000 funding amid fears the enterprise may fail. Instead it agreed to give just one year’s funding of £15,000.”
• Lancashire – Libraries share in £3m booster – Gazette.   “Libraries in Wyre and Fylde are to receive part of a £3.25m cash boost to improve facilities and services. Lancashire County Council has decided four libraries in the area are in need of urgent renovation, as part of the Regenerate programme. Freckleton and St Annes libraries are to be refurbished and Chatsworth Library in Fleetwood will be completely replaced, while work will continue to improve Lytham Library.”
• Plymouth – Survey on library changes – This is Plymouth.  “Around 1,000 people have already given their views as part of Plymouth City Council’s survey of Plymouth Library Service. Schemes being considered include meeting places, free wi-fi, and even game consoles, plus supplying council information about health or the opportunity to pay for council services. These proposals could help less-abled people to access services in their local area without having to take a trip into the Civic Centre.”
• Shetland – Library goes digital with eBooks – Shetland News.  “As of this week library customers can download eBooks for free from the Shetland library website onto a range of devices, including iPhone, iPad, Android and many eReaders. Amazon’s popular Kindle is not included in the service because the device does not accommodate library loans.” … “The service is being made available through a £10,000 grant from the Scottish government’s library improvement fund.”
• Southend – Home library service keeps Linda reading – Six Book Challenge.   “”I was a member of the charity Rethink which organises classes and activities. They were advertising a new book club which I went along to, and it was there that I first found out about the Six Book Challenge. I decided to go along with it, and it really opened my eyes to the experiences of other people who can’t read. One girl who hadn’t read anything for ages got hooked. And there was one chap who had been very, very depressed and who didn’t speak to anyone – he read a book about football and started to open up and communicate, talking about it with people.”
• Southwark – New library for Grove Vale – Southwark Council.   “The development of a brand new library at Grove Vale could commence from as early as the start of 2013.This follows a Cabinet decision to provide additional capital to supplement the contribution from the approved developers.”
• Tameside – Don’t close book on our libraries, says Haughton Green protesters – Manchester Evening News.   “Haughton Green library is one of at least five branches to close across the borough as council chiefs look to save around £1m. The decision has sparked anger among almost 1,500 users who signed a petition which they presented to Denton MP Andrew Gwynne at a protest outside the library on Friday.”

“The petition shows the strength of feeling. Libraries serve a very important function in the community and I am hopeful that the council will have a rethink once they see the strength of opinion.” Labour councillors in Denton South are also holding a public meeting about the library at 5pm tomorrow at St John Fisher Church, Haughton Green. A similar campaign has been set up to save Denton West End library. Hundreds attended a public meeting last week and the ‘Save Denton West End Library’ Facebook group has more than 270 members.”

• Wakefield – Dozen libraries face final chapter – Yorkshire Evening Post. “Council chiefs are seeking to save £800,000 a year by off-loading 12 libraries to voluntary organisations in the biggest shake-up of the service for 30 years. Between 15 and 21 library staff will be affected, with the equivalent of six full-time jobs set to go.”.
  • Major library cuts for Wakefield – BookSeller.
• Worcestershire – Musician’s Union joins Kidderminster gallery campaign – Shuttle.    “Musicians’ Union activists said the library’s top floor gallery was the only publicly funded purpose built music venue in the area. It came as the Friends of Kidderminster Library campaign group announced it had elected an acting committee which plans to meet with Worcestershire County Council.”
  • Have your say on plans to move Bromsgrove Library – Bromsgrove Standard.   “Residents are being urged to have their say on proposals to close the current Bromsgrove Library and relocate it to the former Parkside School building, which would become a ‘civic centre’, also housing district and county council services.” … “The authority claims the move could improve services for library users, with increased opening hours, more space for adult and children’s learning, extra meeting space, increased wi-fi and Internet access and a café. Worcestershire County Council also said the current Bromsgrove Library, Stratford Road, was in need of costly repairs, had no flexible spaces for learning and no potential for sharing spaces with other services – the way the libraries and learning team feels is best to achieve the needed savings.”