Newport to North Yorkshire

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.

• Newport
  • 2018: £150k given by Arts Council Wales to refurb Maindee volunteer library. (3) Welsh Government funding to modernise Ringland Library.(5)
  • 2017: £400k extra for libraries/museums due to reduction in council reserve. (3) £200k refurbishment of Maindee volunteer library, mainly paid for by Arts Council Wales. (7) 25 year lease given to community group for Maindee Library. (8) 22% cut in opening hours since 2015/16. 10% cut (£73k) cut in budget over same period. (8)
  • 2016: Carnegie closed. Maindee now volunteer-run.
  • 2015: Maindee and Carnegie Library may close, Central Library service will reduce from two floors to one (with combined museum/library staff): £103k cut 2016/17. Decision on June 8th. (6) Confirmed Maindee and Carnegie will close, Central will be reduced 9 full-time posts lost. (6)
  • 2014: Council considering moving libraries into a Trust (3). 490,228 visitors to the 12 libraries in Newport in 2013-14 compared with 589,172 in 2012-13. Stow Hill Library closed (March 2013), Brynglas House Library closed (July 2013). “Visitor figures for Central lending show a decrease in users from 206, 642 in 2012-13 to 143, 494 in 2013-14. Rogerstone library increased its visitors from 18,050 to 37,201 in 2013-14. Tredegar House library visitors fell 66,476 to 18,715 in 2013-14. “Stow Hill Library will become volunteer run and a “micro arts centre”. (8)
  • 2013: Three libraries under threat (St Julian’s and Stow Hill to be unstaffed within co-located building. Stow Hill may be closed)  Bibliographical Services Unit to be shut (books to be delivered directly to branches).  Caerleon library may be closed and be co-located with town hall.  Decided that Maindee Library will not be closed. (Maindee and Stow Hill) under threatto save £58k per year.  Ten libraries may have reduced hours (15/1/13). 13.3% cut for department libraries is in, from £14.5m to £12.6m (6). Increased room hire, Bibliographic Services Librarian and part-time administrator post to be lost 2014/15, a further post to be lost in 2015/16.  Central Library to be closed one day per week. Some libraries under threat (14.5 FTE). Schools Library Service to end. Newport already in lowest quartile of staffing in Wales. (12).
  • 2012: 1 staff lost this year
  • 2011: .5 fte lost . As part of an ongoing review of those libraries counted as under threat, the tally will no longer include seven libraries that were mentioned as being involved in plans for closure in 2010 but with no further mention.  Ringland, Bettws and Caerleon libraries may be upgraded depending on Cymal grant (29.1.12). Seven libraries were included in long-term plans for closure (16.11.10) but more recent reports including  this on suggest no closure plans (25.2.11).
• Norfolk.
  • 2022: Mobile library service may be cut (7)
  • 2020: Hunstanton Library may be replaced in property deal.  (10)
  • 2019: Norwich Millennium Library children’s library refurbished. (2) Attleborough Library may move into community centre as pilot for more.  (3)
  • 2018: £200k (40%) cut to mobile library budget: one day “pop ups” trialled, surviving mobiles will stay longer at more popular stops.(7)
  • 2017: No cuts to libraries in forthcoming year.(1) £120k from tax on new homes to introduce open technology to Plumstead Road, Wroxham and Diss libraries to extend hours.  (4)
  • 2016: Opening hours and access reduced at Norwich Millennium Library: Open+ introduced. (5). Libraries to assist with self-reporting forms e.g. lost and found items.  (8)
  • 2015: 27 out of 47 libraries may close by 2018/19: £1.59m cut.  (10) Closures to library service abandoned. (10) £920 spent on technology to allow unstaffed libraries to be open, Millennium Library to be reduced by 2 hours opening per day, £300,000 per year reduction in bookfund (from £1.353m), 1 mobile out of 8 to be lost,  (11)
  • 2014: £350k cut in bookfund (2) Further Possible £140k cut to bookfund (5) £1.2m cut 2014 cf 2013 (down from £11.4m). Donation boxes put in main library.(10)
  • 2013: £400k cut inc. mobile libraries and staffing (9) £500k cut 2013/14 may be met by merging Libraries and Adult Education departments. (9).
  • 2011: £1.2m cut.  10% cut in opening hours, mobile library visits reduced to every 4 weeks from current 3, self-service machines replace staff. (and, bookfund cut)
• North Ayrshire
  • 2021: Proposed cuts include Dreghorn and Saltcoats libraries moving into community centres; Irvine Library relocation, closure of Springside Library, Bourtreehill Library may become volunteer, Ardrossan Library to move into school. (4) Irvine and Ardrossan libraries close and be co-located, Bourtreehill will become volunteer, Springside will close.  (6)
  • 2020: Cuts expected. (3)
  • 2019: Largs, West Kilbride and Fairlie libraries may be under threat.(9)
  • 2018: Ceases purchase of CDs for loan (4) 2018/19 £177k cut, 2019/20 £372k may be further cut. (7)
  • 2015: Consultation on reducing opening hours.  (10)
  • 2014: cuts to library budget being considered. (12)
  • 2012: Some under threat with civil servants/councillors deciding the fate of each one.  £50k consultants report ignored.  Previously described as safe for 2011. Service may move to being run by a Trust.
• Northamptonshire – Dissolved in 2021. Functions taken over by North Northamptonshire and West Northamptonshire.
  
  • 2021: Far Cotton Library closes permanently.  (3) Volunteers reopen Abington library (4) Kettering Library closed for long-term building work, with no alternative as yet in place (5) Kettering Library to be remain open during building work.(7) Volunteer library/cafe reopens in Wootton to replace closed library. (7)
  • 2020: Higham Ferrers Library closes (1) Barton Library to be passed to volunteers. £28k from developers and £11k from parish council will be used to refurbish. (1) Volunteers take over Rothwell library, local academy pays lease. (1) lunteers take over Wollaston Library.  (2) Danesholme Library now volunteer. (3) Raunds Library now volunteer. (10)
  • 2019: 20% budget cut in one year 2018/19. £3.9m budget 2017/18, £3.169m 2018/19. Stock cut. 39 redundancies plus 7 more staff leaving with 146 staff remaining. 24 out of 34 “library managers” left. (1) Kingsthorpe Library taken over by local school. (8) igham Ferrers Library closes. (1)
  • 2018: Under threat libraries given one more year of funding. (2) 21 libraries to open three days per week (rather than one day per week announced a couple of days previously). MP raises possibility of DCMS investigation. (3) Legal actions launched against cuts. (4) Council suggests putting billboards on libraries to raise income. (4) Daventry Library to move to ground floor of Abbey Centre. (10)
  • 2017: Registration office moves into Daventry Library.(3) 21 out of 36 libraries, plus mobiles, may be closed or passed to volunteers. 12 week consultation. (10)
  • 2016: Libraries may become part of a mutual company.(2) Now run by First for Wellbeing (community interest company focusing on integrated wellbeing inc. health, libraries, parks] (9)
  • 2015: Funding for Business and IP Centre from DCLG. (3) Towcester Library will move into new building in April. (3)
  • 2014: Libraryplus” charity formed to raise money for libraries  600 volunteers, all libraries open on Sundays (4). Libraries to become “default” venue for non-specialist children’s services such as registration and advice. Will also provide children’s activities and recruitment of volunteers for children’s centres. (6) Towcester Library to move into co-located new building (with council offices, council chamber, a cafe, an adult learning facility and the county registrar’s office) at the Forum. (6)
  • 2013: Kettering library £265k refurbishment to entrance (5). 123.4 hours unscheduled closures spread over 17 libraries due to vacancies (6). Wifi installed in all branches.  (9). March visitor figures fall from 266,795 (2011) to 204,500 (2013).  (9). LibraryPlus service to expand services for under fives and families to incorporate information and advice, registration services, activities for children and recruitment of volunteers for children’s centre services. (10)
  • 2012: 2 mobiles closed. Confirmed Wootton Fields will move out of current expensive school site and into temporary unit in October (7/8/12):  Wootton Fields Library will move from school to save £75k per year which costs £150k per year plus 7% annual increase (23/7/12). 34 libraries will open from 1pm to 4pm every Sunday and the Central Library in Northampton open from 11am to 4pm.  Cuts in hours elsewhere in week to compensate, although overall number of hours increases by eight (12/4/12). £165k to spent on signage (18/4/12). £1.2m out of £4.8m budget to be cut by April 2015: £250k saving by sharing premises, 1200 more volunteers, £590k by consultancy work income to other authorities, £300k staff cuts over 2 years, £60k from donations from Friends etc (19/1/12). Daventry and Towcester libraries to move into new buildings shared with other services (15/2/12). 2 mobiles closed. 2 mobile libraries (out of 4) to go. Large increase in volunteers, charging for library use [illegal under 1964 Act] considered. 8 libraries will be “community led” (that is, apparently, run by volunteers). £287k less professional librarians, £297k less managers/backroom. 17.5 librarians left at end of this years’ cuts, down from 45 in 2008. Up to 17 jobs to go.  Closures could occur in 2013 if enough cuts not made or if volunteers fail to step forward.  Libraries given a temporary reprieve from closures earlier in 2011. 50% cut over 4 years with closures if other funding or volunteers not found.  Closures in 2013 if search not successful. All six qualified librarians at school library service made redundant. May move to a trust model.  Free use of computers on Fridays, in conjunction with Job Clubs.
  • Groups: Save St James Library
• North Northamptonshire
  • 2022: Extra £410k for Cornerstone/Kettering library.(7) Irchester Library taken over by volunteers / parish council.  (10)
• Northumberland.
  • 2021: Consultation concluded. Five libraries will become “hubs”.  (3) 3 mobiles to be replaced at £220k cost.(12)
  • 2019: £100k cut. 12 week consultation. Closures and volunteers proposed.(9)
  • 2018: Hexham Library co-location with council and arts centre. (2) Fine amnesty for month of March. (2) Alnwick Library to co-locate with theatre and tourist information centre. (4)
  • 2017: Alnwick theatre will include co-located library.(12)
  • 2016: Leisure/Library Trust asks for £1m bailout: £3.5m cut to Trust over 2 years. (2)  Guide Post library to close: library service to move into Cleaswell Hill Centre, along with school library service. Morpeth Library to be temporarily co-located. Co-locations also at Ashington, Bedlington, Blyth and Cramlington. Back office functions to be centralised at County Hall. (3) Morpeth Library floorspace cut by 75% and over half staff lost. (8) Cramlington Library closed: library services moves into new leisure centre. (9)
  • 2015: Hexham Library may move/be smaller to be co-located with other council services. (4) Morpeth Library moving location. (12)
  • 2014: Seahouses Library closing due to being unsafe: limited library service to move to community centre. (10)
  • 2013: Reservation charges scrapped in 2011 meant increase from 27k to 40k. New computers. Book ordering done locally. Co-location in Seaton Delaval, Prudhoe, Amble, Cramlington and Morpeth. More visitors and more members. Amble Library refurbished, including co-locaton with Registrars, Social Care, meeting rooms (4).
  • 2012: National award for Wooler Library/TIC co-location which increased usage and hours
  • 2011: 1 mobile stopped. Mobile Library review completed – some route changing, re-establishment of Saturday service.  However, will reduce mobile libraries from four to three. (5% cut to £3.9m, “expects more volunteer involvement”).
• North Lanarkshire
  • 2019: £400k cut, opening hours cut.(8)
  • 2016: 4 libraries (Petersburn, Old Monkland, Craigneuk and Newarthill) to close and 2 mobiles: £1m cut plus £450k extra cost pressures.  Consultation.. (5) Opening hour cuts to Chapelhall, Coatbridge and Airdrie Libraries. (8) Old Monkland and Petersburn Libraries close at end of October. (10)
  • 2015: Bookfund decreased by 41% in last four years (biggest decrease in Scotland). Small (£23k) investment in e-books. (11)
  • 2013: Cleland Library to be upgraded £150k to improve facilities for older people. (9).
  • 2012: Education Resource Centre (School Library Service) under threat (25/9/12). Book borrowing  “has more than halved in the last two years from 91,342 to 45,582″ (12/4/12)
  • 2010: 1 closed March 2010.  Opening hours were increased in 2010 (12/4/12)
• North Lincolnshire
  • 2018: Barton library to move into co-location. (2) Riddings Library co-located with leisure centre. (10)
  • 2017: New £1.2m Winterton Library opened: co-located with council desk and gym, twice size old library.(4) Riddings Library to close: will move to co-locate with swimming pool. (4) Possible £1m refurbishment of Scunthorpe Library. (7) Barton Library to move into £1.2m co-location with leisure/health. (8) Riddings Library to move to site of squash court. (9) Scunthorpe Library to include housing, employment and health services in £1m co-location/refurbishment.  (9)
  • 2014: Opening hours to be extended at Crowle, Epworth and Haxey after consultation. (9)
  • 2013: Bottesford Library to transfer from shop unit to section of Cambridge house (2/1/13).
  • 2012: 1 library (Goxhill) to volunteers. Volunteer-run Broughton Library opened in village hall to replace mobile library stop (not counted in tally as was not a library before – 19.19/12). Haxey library no longer under threat, Goxhill Library run by volunteers since April 2011 (email 3/7/12):  New library opens at Brigg (17/6/12). £16k cut by cutting Scunthorpe Central Library by 4.5 hours, Ashby Library will be open 5.5 hours less.  Barton Library will be open longer but on an unstaffed basis. (22/3/12).
  • 2011: 1 (Haxey Library staffed entirely by volunteers) (£15k opening hour cut, £30k Bookfund cut). Brigg library to move to shared “The Angel” building (£300k investment).
• North Somerset
  • 2022: Clevedon Library £216k refurbishment, guaranteeing it for ten years. (4) Nailsea Library may move location. (5) Nailsea Library to move into former bank.  (10)
  • 2020: Consultation.  (2)
  • 2018: Clevedon, Long Ashton and Nailsea to co-located into smaller buildings. (2) Libraries budget cut from £3.1m to £1.6m in last ten years (not taking into account inflation) (4) Widespread reduction in opening hours. (5) Long Ashton Library to close, to be replaced by mobile service. (9) Nailsea Library saved from closure.(10)
  • 2017: Children’s Centre to move in to Yatton Library co-location. (4) Pill Library to collocate with children’s centre. (5) £500k libraries/children’s centre cut. 8 library posts could end.   Opening hours with paid staff to be reduced but Open+ introduced. (6) Congresbury Library reopens as volunteer, with parish council support. (7)
  • 2016: Children’s centres and libraries to be co-located (£500k cut overall). (4)  Congresbury and Worle libraries under threat. (6)   Congresbury Library to be run, and paid for, by parish council, with volunteers (10)  5 libraries ( Long Ashton, Pill, Winscombe, Worle, and Yatton) to be Open+ at cost of £820k. 17 jobs lost. One library to be run by parish council. Worle Library to collocate with children’s centre. £250k cut p.a. (12)
  • 2013: Winscombe library reopens after refurbishment (extension, more computers, wifi, seating, self-service) (7) Free wifi in all libraries from August 2013 (7)  Weston Super Mare Library moved into Town Hall: wifi, self-service (8)
  • 2012: 2 libraries (Banwell and Backwell) to close 2012. Banwell Library to close 31st August, to be replaced by mobile.  Winscombe Library to be refurbished. (15/8/12).  10 full-time equivalent staff to lose their jobs (17/3/12). Backwell Leisure Centre “Library Access Point” to close in April, replaced by mobile.£347k cut to service.Overall opening hours cut by just one hour for whole authority due to increase in self-service, volunteers (29/3/12) Reductions in opening hours lessened due to consultation.  Budget reduced instead by cutting staff while installing self-service.  Winscombe and Yatton branches may use volunteers and parish council assistance.  Opening hours will increase at Locking Castle and Weston as will open with self-service machines with non-library staff present (28/3/12). 1 library (Banwell) to close. 16/1/12: Banwell Library to close.  Weston Library will “soon” move to Town Hall. 10/1/12:  Two libraries in Weston will be open for longer.  11fte out of 115 jobs to be cut. Call for more volunteers.  Self-service to be introduced. No new recruitment, staff will have hours cut or be offered voluntary redundancy 9/1/12: £347k cut 2012/5 inc. cuts in open hours, less staff.
  • 2011: Library to move into renovated council HQ) New library opened in Portishead
• North Tyneside
  • 2022: Tynemouth Library to be demolished to be replaced by a “modern hub”. (2) Libraries go fines-free (11)
  • 2020: Tynemouth Library may co-locate with building society. (2)
  • 2018: Smaller libraries reduced to 2.5 day opening per week. (2)
  • 2017: Opening hours may be reduced. (11)
  • 2013: New library to be built in Wallsend as part of shared services building. (4) North Shields Central Library to reopen after £2.6m refurbishment (closed since Dec 2011 due to heating problems). (5).  Undertaking not to close libraries (11). Five year strategy for libraries / consultation. (9)
  • 2012: 1 library closed (Coast Road Library), Monkseaton Library saved after 4400 signed petition to keep it open.  Plan for future means “there will be four main libraries – in Killingworth, North Shields, Whitley Bay and Wallsend – and a network of smaller community libraries in Shiremoor, Tynemouth, Cullercoats, Wideopen, Forest Hall, Dudley, Longbenton, Battle Hill and Howdon. A mobile Library Express will visit care homes and sheltered housing sites, as well as working with schools.” (20/1/12) North Shields Central Library still closed as of check (18.1.12) Internet charges introduced (free for first 30 minutes then £1 per hour) (9/10/12) “Extra card” discount scheme introduced for those who pay subscription (25/10/12).
  • 2011: North Shields Central Library closed due to delayed decision on spending for repairs, temporary library set up while service awaits go ahead for £2.7m refurbishment.  £650k cut
• North Yorkshire:
  • 2023:  £450k refurbishment of Scarborough Library. (1)
  • 2022: Knaresborough library to have building society co-located into it.  (3)
  • 2020: Consultation. Service relies on 2000 volunteers (1) Malton Library to be refurbished.  (8)
  • 2019: Newcastle Building Society supports Stokesley Library financially and in other ways. (9)
  • 2018:  Selby Library to have IT zone and meeting room: closed for refurbishment (2) Filey Library refurbished. (7) Great Ayton volunteer library combined with tourist information centre. (11)
  • 2017: £3.5m cut since 2010. (1) Bentham Library taken over by community group: to be fully volunteer.(3) Starbeck Library now entirely volunteer.  (4) Ripon Library now almost entirely volunteer (1 paid staff, 80+ volunteers). (4) Kirkbymoorside and Norton libraries both now fully volunteer, Pickering Library a “hybrid” with some paid staff but mostly volunteer. (4) Scalby Library now entirely volunteer (4). Refurbishment by new owners,  “Catterick Richmond and Colburn Community Libraries” in partnership with the county council. (5) Stokesley now entirely volunteer, renamed “The Globe Stokesley Community Library”. (6) Sight Support charity moves into Ryedale Library. (11)
  • 2015 – Richmond tourist information centre moves into library (5) Original cut of £4.23m reduced by £175k. Libraries to be in 3 tiers: (1) “core” (the 7 biggest Harrogate, Malton, Northallerton, Richmond, Scarborough, Selby and Skipton) will retain 60% paid staff (with rest hoped to be made up by volunteers) / (2) “hybrid” (Filey, Knaresborough, Pickering, Ripon, and Whitby) will retain 40% paid staff (with rest taken up by volunteers) / (3) “community-managed” will receive bookstock and IT bit will be split into two with “highest performing” ( Catterick; Colburn; Crosshills; Easingwold; Eastfield; Sherburn; Stokesley and Thirsk) with 12-15 hours of one paid library worker per week and rest ( Bedale, Bentham, Boroughbridge,  Helmsley, Ingleton, Kirkbymoorside, Leyburn, Norton, Pateley Bridge, Scalby, Settle, Starbeck and Tadcaster ) will get one paid library worker for 5-7 hours per week . To be confirmed 7th July.(6) Council confirms cuts to libraries. (7)
  • 2014: Library review including possibility of some closures or more volunteer-run branches (1) 23 libraries to be volunteer or close (would mean 30 volunteer and 12 “hub” libraries”) (3). School library service to close  (3). Book lending (volunteer-staffed) at  Deansfield Court Extra Care Housing Scheme (Norton) in conjunction with Yorkshire Housing (4). £3.6m cut by 2020: three month consultation starts. £2m already cut via nine volunteer libraries. Knaresborough may have 1 staff (previously 7), Pateley Bridge / Tadcaster / Sherburn may close if volunteers do not completely take them over. (11)
  • 2013: Thirsk Library to be relocated into new joint library/housing development (6/2/13). Malton and Norton libraries to merge counted as 1 library under threat (6) Library staff (paid and volunteer) issued with uniforms at cost of £12k per year (10). £100k Arts Council grant for 24 artists to go into libraries and work with users/community members. (12).
  • 2012: 2 libraries closed (Hunmanby, Masham) and 5 passed to volunteers (Ayton, Barlby, Bilton, Embsay, Gargrave): Ingleton Library part staffed by county council and part staffed by parish council.  Bentham Library opening on Monday 4.30 to 7 and Wednesday 1 to 4 staffed by volunteers (30/9/12). Ayton Library reopens as volunteer-run Derwent Valley Bridge (14/2/12):  Malton Library hours will increase as being merged with tourist information centre.  Similarly, Leyburn hours will increase as being merged with community office (18/1/12).  Hunmanby due to close at end of March, Masham Library now closed (to be run by volunteers), five libraries (Barlby, Bilton, Embsay, Gargrave and Great Ayton) will either be closed or run by volunteers from April (29/2/12) . “From April all libraries will see a reduction in their opening hours, with libraries in Northallerton and Catterick Garrison each losing more than 10 hours of staffing time, while Richmond will lose six hours, Stokesley eight hours and Bedale five hours.”. Opening hours cuts consultation.(15/1/12)
  • 2011: 10 mobiles were stopped. Hunmanby library to close due to failure to gain enough volunteers/retain funding: library services likely to be moved into community centre or be served by a mobile library. Great Ayton to lose all staffing – will be expected to be volunteer-run by April 2012. 36 out of 177 full time equivalent posts to be lost. 10 out of 11 mobiles have been stopped, all 8 under threat will be run by volunteers, with books and training supplied by council.  Cuts in opening hours unless volunteers step in.  Small town libraries will see cuts in hours of up to 30%.  .  £1.7m cut.  £300k off bookfund as part of bid to keep more libraries open. £592k cut to mobile libraries.