Northeast Lincolnshire to Orkney

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. 

• Northeast Lincolnshire.
  • 2024: Review / consultation. (1) Proposals include co-location of Grimsby and Cleethorpes libraries; Waltham Library to become volunteer, Immingham Library to see “partnership working”. (12)
  • 2018: Job losses and opening hour cuts confirmed. (4) Consultation. (9)
  • 2017: Cleethorpes Library to close, services co-located to tourist information centre.(2) £275k refurbishment for Grant Thorold Library (community group CIC run) inc. café and education room. (3) Four libraries (Grimsby, Cleethorpes, Immingham and Waltham) may close for one day per week (8)
  • 2015: Scartho library to be run by volunteers from September.
  • 2014: Laceby Library has closed (may be taken over by parish council/volunteers).  (12)  £300-500k cut expected 2014/15. All possibilities considered.  Public survey. (1). £300k refurbishment of Grimsby Top Town Library. (1). Libraries will move into Lincs Inspire Trust after review carried out. (5) £500k cut from existing £3m budget.  Six out of ten libraries (Grant Thorold, Willows, Nunsthorpe, Scartho, Humberston, Laceby) may close or be passed to volunteers.  Other options include opening hours cut. (7) Confirmed that five libraries (Grant Thorold, Willows, Nunsthorpe, Humberston and Laceby) will be closed or passed to volunteers. Scartho Library’s fate still to be decided. (7) Centre4 charity will run Nunsthorpe Library from 18 December.(11)
  • 2013: School Library Service to close.  (3). Grimsby Library needs £300k repair work, requiring closure of some floors while work takes place – decision by council soon.  (7).  Grimsby closed for two months for building work. Top floor will close permanently (9).  £500k cut by 2014/15. Consultation in progress (12)
  • 2012: Grimsby Central Library closed for £750k refurbishment.  Cafe in library will end as not making money (15/8/12) Libraries to move into being run by a Trust.
• Northern Ireland
  • 2024: £1m funding for stock: service had not been able to purchase books since September. (3) Killyleagh Library reopens after refurbishment.  (11)
  • 2022: Greenisland Library closed for refurbishment (11)
  • 2019: Coleraine Library £2.3m refurbished. (2)
  • 2018: Fines library users more than c. £100k per year. (8)
  • 2017: Further 5% cut to budget.£5.5m cut over last 4 years (17%). (4). Open / staffless technology installed at Whitehead (12)
  • 2016: 14 libraries to have opening hours reduced to 45 hours per week (some of these cut by 9 hours), £2m cut to £27.7m in 2016/17. Consultation. “A total of 309,756 people used libraries in 2014-15, an increase of 3% from 2013-14.” (5) 5.7% reduction to budget.. (6) £2m cut reduced by £225k to avoid cuts in opening hours. (8)
  • 2015:  £2.4m cut. Opening hours reduced. Consultation until April 17th. (2) BookStart programme no longer funded by Northern Ireland. (3) 144 voluntary redundancies since 2009, 19 more expected 2015/16. Bookfund reduced from £3.4 million four years ago to £2.7 million this year. (2015).
  • 2014: £1.4m (4.4% budget) cut. Over 21 casual agency staff to be lost. (9) Opening hours to be cut. (9) £489k cut in bookfund. (10)
  • 2013: Five-year contract with Fujitsu to replace IT and install wifi. (4). New Draperstown Library opened (twice the size of old one) (5) New Draperstown Library opened,, double the size of the old one, at cost of £155k (9). £34.5m budget 2014/15 to run 98 libraries and 37 mobiles/home call vehicles. £28m extra to replace computer system. 2 new libraries to be built at Lisnaskea and Kilkeel. £1m extra for maintenance (9). Seven under threat libraries (Carnlough, Draperstown, Fintona, Kells and Connor, Richill, Killyleagh and Greystone) to remain open,  Killyleagh and Greystone to be reviewed next year. (10).
  • 2012: 1 library (Moy) closed. Moy Library closed on 31st March 2012 : Mobile library services to be cut. £2.4m less in cuts means Some libraries will lose hours (eg. Fintona, Newtownstewart) but others will gain (e.g. Lurgan) (19/1/12). Projected cut in opening hours reduced from 1200 less hours to 600 less due to extra money found by Culture Minister (16/1/12).
  • 2011: 1 closed (Moneymore), 1 under threat (Moy) but 8 out of 10 libraries threatened reprieved. Moneymore and Moy will close.  Five others will need to get new buildings or close. Whitehead Library had £300,000 upgrading in 2010 but is about to have hours cut,  Randalstown could be halved, reduced from 34.5 hours to 18 hours.  Public consultation on cuts to Northern Ireland libraries until November 14th – over 24 branches will have hours cut by ten hours or more. 30 FTE jobs to go, £10.3m cut over four years.
  • Campaign group – Save Killyleagh Library.
• Nottingham
  • 2024: Report that council is consulting on closing 12 out of 15 libraries. (2) £1.5m cut over 2 years.  Aspley, Basford, Bilborough, and Radford-Lenton under threat. 12 week consultation.  (6)
  • 2023: Basford, Radford/Lenton and Aspley libraries will stay open. £79k cut rather than original £233k. (1) Central Library will open on 28 November. (11) New Central Library opens after two year delay (11) Cuts expected (12) Proposed £1.5m cut with 31 FTE posts lost. (12)
  • 2022: £233k cut: Basford, Radford Lenton and Aspley libraries to be closed. (1)
  • 2020: Plans for new central library publicised (1) No central library while new one is being built. (8) Sherwood Library to be rebuilt, in property deal (12)
  • 2018: Consultation for new Central Library. (9)
  • 2017 Music and drama resources combined with Leicester.(1)  New Sneinton Library replaces old Sneinton and Bakersfield Library. (5) Library card of either city valid in the other. (10)
  • 2016: Aspley: joint library/One Stop Shop/housing office to be built. Replaces Broxtowe Library. (2) Bakersfield and Sneinton Libraries to close: to be replaced by library in refurbished police station. (3) Central Library sold to private developer: library either to be retained on site or moved to new location. (11)
  • 2015: Strelley Road Library now closed: will be demolished and become part of co-located service from 2017.(4)
  • 2014: £1.9m refurbishment of combined library and community centre planned in Strelley. (1) Bakersfield Library to be run by volunteers with support by paid staff (5).
  • 2013: Mobile library to be closed(6/3/13) Aspley library to be recarpeted and redecorated, with more computers (6) Bakersfield Library under threat (12).
  • 2012: (24/4/12) St Ann’s Centre (joint library/doctor/health/housing)building open (8/4/12) St Ann’s Library closed, moved to St Ann’s Valley Centre. (13/1/12) Consultation ends on libraries future plan.
  • 2011: 13 libraries to have reduced hours; Bulwell and St. Ann’s Library to move into “Joint Service Centres” in 2012 ; Council has £50.7m cash reserves; computer use to be charged ; 25% cut in bookfund;
  • 2010: Wilford Library closed.
• Nottinghamshire
  • 2024: New strategy suggests 12 main libraries, 21 “Community libraries”, 28 “library access points” (10)
  • 2023: £741k funding for Stapleford Library. (1)
  • 2020: Retford Library refurbished. (8)
  • 2019: Retford Library closed for refurbishment.  (11) Worksop Library may not open unti Summer 2020 due to flood damage. (12)
  • 2018: Ruddington, Mansfield Woodhouse and Ravenshead Libraries refurbished. (7) Dukeries Library only to be open in term-time.  (9) 6% cut 2017/18 (£1.61m).  (11)
  • 2017: Keyworth Library refurbished.  (5). £1m refurbishment of Beeston Library, (5)  £1m ACE funding over four years. (6) Misterton now volunteer. (7)
  • 2015: Bingham Library £720k refurbishment inc. moving in of children’s centre(1) South Scarle becomes first “small library depository” with 300 books, volunteer staffed. (1) £300k improvements to Arnold Library completed inc. new books, gift shop, café and study section. (8)
  • 2014: £800k refurbished Stapleford library reopens with 36% more book issues, 50% more computer use, 250% more new members (1) CDs to be completely withdrawn due to decline in use. (2) Hyson Green Library to close, with service moving into co-location with Mary Potter Centre (4). Many libraries to move to being outsourced to community groups, volunteer run, with extra funding sought from parish councils.  Library to be opened in co-located Acacia Centre (run by Ashley Community Radio and Media Training).  (5)
  • 2013: Stapleford Library to be closed for building work for seven months (3/13) West Bridgford Library open again after upgrade inc. recording studio and performance area (3). £1m cut.  May move to Trust status. Volunteer “partnerships” considered for all branches, especially smallest ones.  (11). Burton Joyce Library had eight to ten volunteers along paid staff: was cut from 31 hours per week to 15.5 in April 2011, partially restored to 24 hours a week due to volunteers (11). 28 libraries under threat (Annesley Woodhouse, Balmoral, Bilsthorpe, Blidworth, Burton Joyce, Carlton Hill, Carlton-in-Lindrick, Clipstone, Collingham, Edgewood, Farnsfield, Gedling, Gotham, Huthwaite, Inham-Nook, Jacksdale, Ladybrook, Langold, Lowdham, Misterton, Rainworth, Selston, Skegby, Sutton Bonington, Sutton-on-Trent, Toton, Tuxford and Woodthorpe.) (11)
  • 2012: £20m investment in libraries 2012/2022 inc.  £3.7m small scale refurbishments, £2.1m for archives (25/4/12). Commitment to keep all 60 branches open. Mansfield Library: new building officially opened on Tuesday 3.1.12 after £3.4m refurbishment inc. wi-fi, local studies expansion etc. Full £5.3m rebuild of West Bridgford Library has begun. 2011: 4 mobiles closed. £1 charge for each e-book. Opening hours halved from 601 hours per week to 311; 22 out of 28 libraries to have their opening hours cut but some hours regained in libraries whos opening had been cut in half earlier in 2011. Bookfund cut. 4 mobiles out of 7 to be cut (these apparently cut as mobiles page showing only three routes, March 2012). 80 FTE jobs to go; Has cut bookfund by 36% over two years (£1.3m 2009/10 down to £863k 2011/12). £8m spent on Worksop Library in 2011. One-week loan for “top ten” books; newspaper provision reduced;; Misterton Library reduced to less than nine hours per week
• Oldham
  • 2017: Royton Library to co-locate into town hall..(9)
  • 2011: £1m cut – moving libraries into other council buildings, cutting hours, less paid staff.
• Orkney
  • 2016: Mobile library under threat. (3)