Wolverhampton to York

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.

1. Wolverhampton
   1. 2018: £60k refurb Penn Library.(3)
   2. 2017: £500k cut dropped but Review. Bilston Library could close/relocate to town hall. Low Hill may close/relocate to community centre. East Park may close/ relocate elsewhere. Businesses to be asked to rent space in Finchfield, Whitmore Reans, Spring Vale and Penn. Volunteers may staff 8 libraries (Finchfield, Pendeford, Penn, Spring Vale, East Park, Tettenhall, Wednesfield, Whitmore Reans), Warstones may close and become part of new co-located community centre. Open+ may be used. (2) Wolverhampton Library may also serve college students. (8)
   3. 2015: £500k cut per year (from previous £1.7m spend). May be opening hour cuts (inc. Central Library), some closures, volunteers. (7)
   4. 2014: Cut in budget of over half: target is £1.7 million cut. Cut in opening hours of one third, from 656 to 421 hours per week. Bilston, Warstones and Wednesfield libraries would be staffed for 39 hours a week, Finchfield and Tettenhall for 30 hours and Ashmore Park, Pendeford and Penn libraries for 24 hours. (1). Full-time library workers fall from 117 in 2008 to 17 in 2014. Self service to be installed in all 16 branches. Whitmore Reans Library reduced to being open 15 hours per week (was six days). Collingwood Library now mainly self-service. (3) 51 jobs to be cut, some compulsory redunandancies.  Library service now down to 12 full-time and 75 part-time (3). Libraries forced to close due to low staffing levels during holidays. (8)
   5. 2013 – Home delivery service may be replaced with electronic delivery or with volunteers to save £60k (2/1/13). 49 out of 139 current jobs to go (largely full-time) with 23 new jobs (less full-time) replacing.  Books to be ordered centrally, less managers, more self-service, non-library staff to take phone calls (3) Merging of libraries and communities centres will cost £4.33m (inc £1m maintenance work brought forward). Warstones Library moves into Warstones Resource Centre. Spring Vale Library moves into former Parkfield High School. Collingwood Library moves into sheltered housing scheme Broadway Gardens. Ashmore Park’s Library moves into youth centre on Griffiths Drive. Youth centres including Low Hill, Mirage in Pendeford and Oakley Buckley Youth Club to move into libraries. (5). 50% of librarians to be made redundant. (10).
   6. 2012- 1 counted as under threat – Five libraries will stay in current locations, three more (Warstones, Ashmore Park, Spring Vale) will move into buildings with other services.  One (Collingwood Library in Bushbury) will reopen as entirely self-service (counted as under threat) (29/11/12), Previously 9 under threat but protests. £600k cut to staffing, £225k cut to bookfund (29/8/12). Bromsgrove Library may move to new co-located site old Parksite School building (19/7/12). No to Hubs submission by campaigners (4/11/12). £1.1m cut to Community Directorate budget (inc Libraries) by 2013/14.  Pending results of consultation, community centres/libraries/youth centres to be closed then combined together in 15 “Community Hub” multi-purpose buidings.  Full proposals from Council here. (22/6/12). 9 libraries under threat ( Ashmore Park, Bilston, East Park, Finchfield, Low Hill, Penn, Spring Vale, Warstones and Whitmore Reans). Some may be closed, others to be co-located in “community hubs” with community centres/youth services.  Consultation for 12 weeks from 27/6/12.   £1.1m total cut/£600k staffing cut (including cut to community centres).  Only 2 out of 15 libraries (Tettenhall and Central)  in authority would remain as single-purpose buildings (21/6/12). Libraries may become part of “community hubs” (May 2012).
   7. Group:Finchfield Estate Community Hub,Save Wolverhampton Libraries. 
2. Worcestershire
   1. 2024: Staffless opening hours introduced at Kidderminster. (1) Evesham, Redditch, Wythall, Pershore, Bromsgrove, Hagley, Alvechurch, Rubery, and Warndon and St John’s libraries in Worcester have staffless hours (3). £300k LIF grant for new electric mobile  (4)
   2. 2023: Possible £178k cut for Warndon and St John’s libraries (2)
   3. 2021: Redditch Library to move. (8)
   4. 2019: £1m cut over three years reduced to £800k cut over same period. (1)
   5. 2018: Redditch library co-located with job centre. (3) Schools Library Service may be closed. (6) £500k cut 2018 then further £300k in 2019. Consultation. (8) School Library Service confirmed to close. (10) Droitwich Spa Library may close (11)
   6. 2017: Kidderminister Job Centre to co-locate into library. (7) Community contact centre to be co-located into Evesham Library. (8) Rubery Library may close: be moves into church. (9)
   7. 2016: £1m cut. 78.5 hours per week to be cut. “Unstaffed” opening hours. Increased library fees. “demand up-front payments for transactions.” £250k cut to Hive, £250k by “extra library commissioning”. Mobile library “to be hired”.  (4) Upton Upon Severn Library building transferred to community trust: service itself stays with council. (6) Bewdley Library will collocate into Medical Centre. (7) Cuts in opening hours reduced from 78.5 hours per week to 55 hours per week, after consultation. (7) Redditch Library may be reduced in size as other agencies may move into it to share space. (8)
   8. 2015: Hagley to be run by volunteers, with building and premises management costs paid for by parish council. (1). 38% of mobile library stops removed. (1). Stourport Library reopens in Civic Centre (along with Coroner’s Office and Town Council) following move from County Buildings.(4) Bromsgrove Library will close on 14th November and re-open in co-located “Parkside Hub” end of month.  (10) Bromsgrove Library reopens in co-located building: £6.9m jointly between county and borough council.  (11) £475k cut 2016/17, with money being gained by hiring out library space to other agencies. (12)
   9. 2014: Hagley Library under threat.  (1) Staff cuts via natural wastage, voluntary redundancy, non-renewal of contracts, managers not to be replaced. Hagley Library to be run by volunteers with council tax burden transferred to parish council (4).  Redditch Library to share building with council and local services, losing the second floor. (6) Eccleston Library moved into new premises in shopping centre. £2.7m cut 2011/2016 with £1.9m already cut 2011/2014. 3 out of 4 mobile libraries to close. Hive opening hours may be cut. (7). (I) Upton upon Severn, Wythall, and Broadway: volunteers (in the form of community interest organisations) will take on premise costs and management. Council will provide stock and paid staff, volunteers in supplementary roles.  (II) Hagley will have the parish council take on the premise/costs management with Council providing stock/paid staff and volunteers in supplementary roles (III) Bewdley will move into new building, co-located with medical centre. (Source: email from council, July 2014). Music Library materials now housed by Elgar School of Music. (10)
   10. 2013:  Broadway Library under threat (4) Broadway library to be taken over by parish council and run by volunteers(23/2/13). Kidderminster Library Gallery converted into council offices (21/2/13) New mobile library/bus for library/council services (3/13). Catshill Library moved into school grounds and run with help of volunteers (4) Bewdley Library may move into new health centre/pharmacy building (7) Pershore Library to reopen in October after refurbishment inc. partnership with Town Council, visitor information centre. (9). Malvern Library will be merged with JobCentre: already houses One Stop Shop, cafe and Registrars, (11) £100k cut before April 2014: opening hours cuts considered and co-locating council services into Market Place. (12).
   11. 2012: Confirmed that Bromsgrove Library will move into co-located Parkside building.  (20/11/12). Bromsgrove library may move into co-located building with other council services (more space, wifi, cafe) survey until Oct 2012.  (23/9/12). Stourport Library may move to co-location in Civic Centre (saving £1.4m over 10 years) (17/8/12). Woodrow Library may have co-location with One Stop Shop.  £1.8m cut overall budget (28%) cut to be met working closer with partners.  (20/7/12).  £60m Hive (joint council “hub”/public/academic library) opens (4/7/12). Catshill Library may close, with volunteers running substitute at local school.  Three-month Consultation from late June at worcestershire.gov.uk/libraries. (22/6/12). Plans to move 139 council staff into Kidderminster Library postponed due to public opposition.  Campaign group: Friends of Kidderminster Library Gallery (18/6/12). 1 was under threat library as of check 18/1/12 but described as saved 4/3/12. Upton Library under threat cf. will not close “just yet” 4/3/12 and idea of merging it with hall/police 9/3/12. Bewdley Library feared to have services reduced if it moves to museum building.  Kidderminster Library gallery space being turned into council offices (16/3/12).
   12. 2011: May include more volunteers and less opening hours, previous reports of threatened libraries unconfirmed. Possibly 4 under threat (Wythall, Pershore , Upton and Broadway). Worcester Public Library rare books sold off (£200,000 plus): sale now restarted since suspension due to public outcryin April (Souce: Historic Libraries Bulletin, not currently available online as of 1.10.11). 30 staff to lose jobs, opening hours reduced, charges increase, more self-service (90% target), less bookfund, more co-location.  Mobile library review. Warndon and St John’s reprieved, £1.8m (28% cut) over four years. Co-location increasing: Stourport Library to be moved into Civic Centre after three months consultation, Bewdley Library may move into town’s museum, Kidderminster Library may have other services using its space. Libraries may run by private company, Trust or workers’ co-operative.  Increased charges, less stock, less opening hours. Town Council to buy Pershore Library, with £500k refurbishment (reduced by hoped use of volunteers), County Council to pay rent.  Information Centre to merge with library (previously thought it would move out of town centre). Contact centres may combine with libraries.
   13. Groups: Worcestershire Gallery Friends.
3. Wrexham
   1. 2023: Becomes fines-free. (2)
   2. 2021: Consultation on replacing mobile library with pop-up/request service.  (7) Mobile Library may be withdrawn. (10)
   3. 2019: £130k cut: co-locations, volunteers and lone working considered.  (2) £300k cut, consultation: options include more co-location, staffless, self-service and others.  (9)
   4. 2017: Cuts expected. (10) Consultation. Possibilities include volunteers, co-location or moving to trust. (10)
   5. 2016:  Decision to keep library service in-house: research showed moving to a Trust would cost £200k more per year. (7)
   6. 2015: May be managed by Life Leisure Trust (Blaenau Gwent) or the Merthyr Tydfil Leisure Trust (2). Withdrew from NE Wales School Libraries Service, effective end of March 2015. (4)
   7. 2014: School library service to close (5) Gresford Library taken over by volunteers (5) Cultural services including libraries may be transferred into community trust with other services inc. museums and Arts (7)
   8. 2013: 3 libraries (out of 12) under threat: Brymbo, Gresford and one from Cefn Mawr, Rhosllannerchrugog and Ruabon. £192k cut. Near halving of public access computers in authority as older ones not replaced. Petition against library closures (12/2/13). All libraries to have opening hours cut by 26%, with volunteer libraries to be considered. Fate of the three libraries under threat to be decided in January. (11)
   9. 2012: £120k refurbishment for Chirk Library, in association with Cymal (5/12/12). No cuts reported as of July 2012.
   10. 2011: 1.6 professional librarians lost 2011/12.
4. York
   1. 2024: £300k cut, being fought by York Explore. (1) £250k LIF Funding to improve Acomb Explore Library. (4)
   2. 2023: New Haxby and Wigginton Library opens in Oaken Grove Community Centre. (1)
   3. 2022: £7.7m extra for new co-located and enlarged Clifton, Haxby/Wigginton new library, investment in Acomb.
   4. 2021: New expanded library planned for Clifton.(7)
   5. 2020: Plan to rent out museum gardens for mini golf in order to raise funds. (10)
   6. 2019: Explore Trust wins contract to run libraries for 15 more years. (2) Aiming for increased co-locations. (9)
   7. 2018: York Explore seeks to crowdfund the Summer Reading Challenge. (4) Burnholme Library opens (£4.6m investment).  (6) Funding guaranteed for next 15 (fifteen) years plus £147k per year for maintenance (6)
   8. 2017: Haxby Library to move into Memorial Hall, pending £500k spend. (3) Visits down 1% since 2012. (4) Consultation (11)
   9. 2016: Library service officially receives charitable status. £97k grant from Arts Council England. (6) New library to be part of Burnholme community hub. (8) Haxby Library closed due to structural concern. £80k given by Council for mobile library to help replace service. New library expected but not for at least another two years. (8)
   10. 2015: York Explore Library and Archive reopens after £2m revamp inc. 6000 books/maps online. (1)
   11. 2014: £1.5m refurbishment to York Explore Library Learning Centre, including Archives, will open in January. (10)
   12. 2013: E-petition against transfer of libraries to a social enterprise (7/2/13) 10.9 full time equivalent library posts lost in £190k staffing cut. £250k cut overall.  Self service machines instead (6) Libraries to “Explore Libraries and Archives Mutual” 2/3 owned by staff, 1/3 owned by public.  £1 membership of mutual. Five year contract to tun libraries (7).
   13. 2012: Pros and cons of transferring to a Community Benefit Society and the committee paper outlining the reasons for the change (2/1/13).  Consultation on future of libraries, including on them being run by a “community benefit society”. £250k cut to budget 2013/14. (1/10/12). Rowntree Park Library / Cafe opened (15/7/12).  Commitment to keep all libraries open, no cuts to bookfund and no reductions to opening hours (email from authority 3/10/12).
   14. 2011: Free wi-fi and self-service in all libraries by end of 2011. (libraries to be “hit”); 7 library staff made voluntarily redundant; more volunteers and self-service; Lib Dems promise to keep all libraries open if they win local elections on May 5th; Labour wins May 5th : Voluntary redundancies sought. Some libraries to be expanded
5. Yorkshire Libraries and Information Service (jointly funded by all Yorkshire authorities). Now run by Fresh Horizons Ltd, a non-profit community enterprise.  (2015: 1).  Music and Drama Library to be split up, with drama moving to Leeds Central Library and drama to Kirklees Libraries HQ (14/3/12).  Previously: Music and Drama Service may close . Campaign group – Making Music.