Merthyr Tydfil to Newham

To make the list is factual as possible, please email ianlibrarian@live.co.uk if you have any further information or a correction.

Dates included are the date that the information was added to Public Libraries News.  In more recent posts, the number shows the month (e.g. 3 = March, 4 = April) the article that contains the relevant information was published.

• Merthyr Tydfil
  • 2024: Wellbeing Merthyr (formerly Merthry Tydfil Leisure Trust) to return all leisure/library services to council. with alternative provider being sought. (3)
  • 2015: Libraries formally handed over to Merthry Tydfil Leisure Trust. (3)
  • 2014: Libraries (and museums and leisure) may become part of non-profit trust. (6)
  • 2013: 22.3% cut for department libraries is in, from £7.6m to £5.9m (6). Aberfan Community Library opened in community centre (9)
• Merton
  • 2017: New library at Colliers Wood (partnership with developer) in 2018. (12)
  • 2016: Nominated for best council services team in the UK by the MJ. (5)
  • 2015:Donald Hope Library £1.2m upgrade, paid for by development. Temporary library for site for  2 years while work takes place. (8)
  • 2014: West Barnes Library to be redeveloped. (9)
  • 2013: Wimbledon Library could be sold off to developers, with new library built elsewhere.  Campaign Group: Save Wimbledon Library. (7). Wimbledon library withdrawn from possible sell-off, possibly due to public protest. (8) Extended opening hours at Donald Hope Library and West Barnes Library, with assistance from volunteers.  (10).
  • 2012: Named most efficient library service in UK by Local Government Chronicle: 40% cut in funding over last five years.  Over 450 volunteers.  Opening hours increased.  Self-service technology introduced. (18/3/12). Colliers Wood Library could close and merge with rebuilt community centre; West Barnes, Mitcham and Wimbledon Libraries could be upgraded by selling off some land for housing (20/1/12). Staff 2007/8 61.5 2011/12 47 (4 prof, 43 other)
    Volunteers 2007/8 31 2011/12 539 (Cipfa).
  • 2011: (£81k cut) – “Library usage has risen by over 15% and stock issues by over 200,000 in three years”.  350 volunteers due to partnering with local Volunteer Centre.  Donald Hope Library reported as under threat according to petition.  In another article, reported that Donald Hope Library (Colliers Wood) will close on Fridays, West Barnes Library will be staffed by volunteers on Mondays from July.
• MidLothian 
  • 2023: Proposed £750k cut over 3 years inc. replacing all staff with self-service and stopping printed books budget, relying on e-books.(1)
  • 2017: 7 out of 8 under threat, £240k cut, 30 FTE job losses. Petition. (10)
  • 2013: One mobile library to go, service cut in half (£30k cut) (27/1/13) Newtongrange Library to move to High School grounds in 2016 – petition (16/2/13). 3 libraries under threat (Gorebridge to close, Mayfield to close, Newtongrange to move to community centre two miles away) (4) Lasswade Centre school/public library replaces Bonnyrigg Library (7).
• Middlesbrough
  • 2023: Central Library closed for refurbishment. (12)
  • 2017: Central to be revamped, after consultation (2)
  • 2016: £1.2m budget (-57.3% since 2009/10) (3)
  • 2015: Libraries to be renamed “hubs” and take on public health role e.g. preschool and anti-smoking. (4)
  • 2014: £474k cut: merging community hubs and libraries, more self-service (1)
  • 2012: Hemlington Library under threat (9/12/12)  Grove Hill moved to community centre and Thorntree Library sill open as of check (Dec 2012) but previously under threat (Grove Hill and Thorntree) and1 Mobile library to closed 30/3/12  representing a £50k cut.  £20k of this to move into housebound service (9/3/12).
  • 2011: 4 branches and 1 mobile under threat – Grove Hill, Easterside, Marton and Thorntree. £50k bookfund cut, close the mobile £50k, 1.5 less managers (£36k). Box-office DVD rentals and e-books to be introduced
• Milton Keynes
  • 2022:  New library (not a relocation) opens in Netherfield. (3)
  • 2019: Westcroft Library £1.2m refurbishment, Libraries Xtra carded entry. Bletchley Library £700k refurb 2018.  (1)
  • 2017: Various cuts including introduction of supplier selection, increased co-location and room hire, more Open+ equivalent, bookfung cut, ceasing of interlending.(1)
  • 2015: Kingston Library opened. (1) Library review begins. (6) Bletchley Library receives £529k for refurbishment: will collocate with others, possibly police.  (10)
  • 2014: £82k Arts Council England grant for artisits and digital media projects. (1)
  • 2013: Stony Strafford Library transfers to town council, will become more learning-based. Paid staff will continue to be in post (3). Kingston Library to be moved into new building, with shell completed October 2013. (4).
  • 2012: Libraries being offered for community transfer (20/7/12). Council advertising for volunteer shelvers at Milton Keynes Central Library (3/5/12). £500k cuts (1/3/12). Woburn Sands Institute Library (in association with town council) opened on 4th February, replacing Hardwick Road Library.
  • 2011: No closures, some cuts. Stony Stratford Library slated for closure 2011 but reinstated due to public protest.
• Monmouthshire
  • 2022: Caldicot Library being refurbished. (6) Now fines-free (10)
  • 2018: Abergavenny co-location (library, council, careers, learning) has cost £100k planning, may cost £2m in total. (5)
  • 2015:  Libraries and one stop shops to merge: £300k cut. (1)
  • 2014:  Abergavenny Library to move into One Stop Shop.  (12)  Gilwern Community Council may take over responsibility for Gilwern Library. (4) 509,440 physical visits 2013-14 with 82,000 virtual visits.  Usk Library will move to be co-located with Community Education and Youth Services. (8)
  • 2013: £180k cut proposed.  Usk and Gilwern Libraries under threat.
  • 2012: A new Schools Literacy and Resource Centre has opened to serve Monmouthshire and Torfaen (16/3/12) Chepstow Library reopens after £120k refurbishment inc.  new shelving/meeting areas, wifi, laptops, teenage area, local studies collection (21/1/12).
• Moray.
  • 2023: Fines-free (2) Cuts expected (11)
  • 2019: Burghead, Dufftown, Cullen, Fochabers, Lossiemouth and Tomintoul under threat. Reduced hours for Buckie, Forres and Keith.  (1) Threatened libraries, and all others, to remain open. (2) £220k cut means substantial cut in opening hours to Lossiemouth, Burghead, Dufftown and Fochabers from 96 to 44 hours per week. (10)
  • 2016: 6 out of 11 Iibraries may close, £93k annual cut. (5)
  • 2013: 7 (out of 15) libraries may close with more cuts to come.  Libraries may move into Leisure Trust.  (13/2/13). Council confirms closure of 7 out of 15 branches in £357k cut – threatened libraries are Burghead, Cullen, Dufftown, Findochty, Hopeman, Portknockie and Rothes. (9). £72k would need to be returned to EU if closures go ahead (11). Four libraries to close (previously seven):  Hopeman, Findochty, Portknockie and Rothes – change due to threat of legal challenge on basis of equality impact. (11). Campaign: Save Our Libraries.:  Save Burgheard Library ;
  • 2012: Previously marked as no public libraries closing but council has appealed for volunteer groups to run them, may move to being in a Trust, another article here. Campaign groups: Campaign group: Love Moray Libraries (+ Facebook).
• Neath Port Talbot
  • 2023: “Library of Things” opens in Sandfields Library. (11)
  • 2019: Threatened cuts inc. closing 4 libraries cancelled due to public response.  (2) Neath Library to close: to be relocated into leisure centre. (12)
  • 2018: £235k cut: Baglan, Cwmafan, Glynneath and Skewen may close or turn volunteer. (12)
  • 2016: Skewen and Baglan Libraries will stay open but may involve volunteers.  (1) £600k cut 2016/17. (11)
  • 2015: Skewen and Baglan libraries may close.  (11)
  • 2014: Cwmllynfell, Gwaun-cae-Gurwen, Ystalyfera, Seven Sisters (cost paid for by community council) and Blaengwynfi libraries now run by volunteers (with book an staffing support from council).  Briton Ferry, Resolven, Cymmer Afan and Taibach to be run by volunteers shortly (aim is May 1st). Taibach may be run by volunteers shortly. (3). Resolven Library now run by volunteers for 8 hours per week.(5)
  • 2013:  9 out of 17 libraries under threat: Cwmllynfell, Gwaun-cae-Gurwen, Seven Sisters, Ystalyfera, Blaengwynfi, Briton Ferry, Taibach, Cymmer and Resolven  under threat  with up to £238k cut. Mobile library to move from a two week to a three week cycle (9)
  • 2012: £114k grant from Welsh Government for improving Baglan inc. children’s, events, wifi (25/3/12).
  • 2011: £202k bookfund slightly more than in 2010 (£47k less than Welsh standard).
• Newcastle
  • 2024: Employment support co-location in Central Library. (1) £382k LIF grant for a new reading facility in a disused part of the Walker Activity Dome. (3)
  • 2019: East End Library to co-locate to save money. (3)
  • 2018:  Social landlord “Your Homes Newcastle” withdrawing from partnership in Fenham Library. Gym and café to be opened in library instead. (5) Over one-third cut in budget to library service (from £4.9m to £3.2m), including big cutting of hours at the flagship Central Library and co-locating services, 10 job losses (11)
  • 2017: Jesmond Library (volunteer) £50k refurbishment. (3)
  • 2016: £1m cut. Opening hours to be cut from 466.9 hours to 201 hours per week.  (1)  £8.8m budget (-22.7% since 2009/10) (3) To sell/withdraw reference stock to make way for extra room hire space (hope for £110k per year income). (11)
  • 2015: Libraries initially planned for closure taken over by various partnerships: Dinnington (taken over by parish council, moved to village hall), Fenham (now run by Your Homes Newcastle), Cruddas Park (now run by Your Homes Newcastle and Newcastle College), Denton (Newcastle College and Dyslexia North East), High Heaton (Newcastle College and Friends group), Jesmond (volunteers). Blakelaw (will close in current location), Newbiggin Hall, and Fawdon may close or be taken over this year.(1) Fawdon Library taken over by volunteers to avoid closure. (5) Newburn Library reopens after refurbishment.  (9)
  • 2014 : Fenham Library reopens (in partnership with Your Homes Newcastle). High Heaton, Denton Burn, Cruddas Park which shortly be reopening (in partnership with Newcastle College). Blakelaw, Fawdon and Newbiggin Hall due to close in 2015. (3).  High Heaton library reopens (volunteer and college run).  (10)
  • 2013: 10 libraries will close by 2016, with five of those possibily to be saved if taken over by volunteers.  2013/14: Cruddas Park, Denton Burn, Dinnington, Fenham, High Heaton, Jesmond and Moorside. 2015: Blakelaw, Fawdon and Newbiggin Hall will close (7/3/13).  Previously, Fenham and Cruddas Park had been removed from the under threat list (16/2/13) Business and intellectual property centre launched (5). Moorside Library will close, nine other libraries (Cruddas Park, Denton Burn, Dinnington, Fenham, High Heaton, Jesmond, Blakelaw, Fawdon and Newbiggin Hall.) to be taken over by volunteers (6) Jesmond Library reopens as volunteer-run (9)
  • 2012: £7m (40%) cut from libraries budget over three years. 10 out of 18 libraries under threat of closure or passing onto volunteers., including High Heaton (recently upgraded at cost of £1m).  Those branches with customer service centres safest. (11/11/12). Newbiggin Hill Library to be demolished, with stock moved into nearby community centre but with a complete refurbishment of the (comparatively smaller) library area and with staffing by library staff.  Plan to move smaller branches into co-location with other services (5/1/12).  “Library Express” plans dropped: “Partnership” ideas planned instead with either other services co-located in libraries or libraries co-located in other buildings.
  • 2011: Opening hours cut in 12 libraries with cuts of around 6% (after consultation.  Cuts mainly in the evenings) , WRVS volunteers to be used for delivery of books to housebound, increased booksale, (12 jobs lost, £245k cut). “Library Express” branches (where some libraries would not be staffed all the time) considered but change of party in local elections meant plan was dropped.   Newcastle charges introduced for book reservations, rise in fees.
• Newham.
  • 2015: Gate Library reopens after refurb inc. café, wifi, community space and digital displays. (6) Opening hours extended until 8pm all days except Sunday in 5 libraries. 5% increase in usage 2014/15. (10)
  • 2014: New library opened at East Ham. £14.3m joint use building includes 30,000 books, language lab, customer service centre. (2).
  • 2012: Canning Town Library to incorporate Council one stop shop. Foreign language newspapers removed from all libraries, Petition against the removal of foreign language papers.  £2.2m refurbishment of Stratford library: but children’s area will be smaller, lost self-contained area.  Protest group: Library E15.  Save our language papers Staff 2007/8 127 2011/12 103.4 (2 prof, 103.4 other) Volunteers 2007/8 20 2011/12 181 (Cipfa).