This just in from the council in their own words. Ed
Residents’ groups in negotiations to run ‘community’ libraries at Bembridge, Brighstone, East Cowes, Niton and Shanklin are set to be given extended time to prepare for a handover from the Isle of Wight Council.
Originally it had been planned that the council would cease to fund the five libraries from 30 June. Now, due to a need for extra time with the negotiations and some operational details relating to the transfers, it is planned the funding will continue until 31 July.
The council is recommending the extension under a delegated decision by Barry Abraham, the cabinet member responsible for libraries, with the decision due to be confirmed next week.
If by the end of July negotiations on the community libraries are near to completion but not quite finalised, it may be possible to continue council funding for another limited period – but not beyond the end of September. The council will review progress with the negotiations at the start of August and September.
The extension of funding would also give community library groups the chance to have volunteers “shadow” existing library staff by performing support tasks in the interim. This is intended to assist with confidence building and provide experience during the busy summer period.
In March this year, as part of its overall savings plans, the council made a decision to continue to run six of its 11 libraries – at Cowes, Freshwater, Newport, Ryde, Sandown and Ventnor – but to cease to fund the five other libraries from 30 June.
Council officers have been working with residents’ groups who expressed an interest in taking on the running of the five libraries where public funding would end. Training and advice on how to run a library has been given, alongside negotiations on leases and operational details for the libraries.
The council’s cabinet member responsible for libraries, Councillor Barry Abraham, said: “Positive negotiations are taking place with the five groups seeking to run community libraries, and it would be inappropriate to cease funding for these libraries at this critical time.
“A great deal of work has been undertaken by these groups in the three months since the March decision on our library service, and their co-operation with council officers has been a major factor in progress to date.
“The council is committed to supporting community groups to succeed in developing their own library services.”
The council’s library service has been working closely with the Isle of Wight Rural Community Council to develop a training programme to support the community groups to provide high quality local libraries.
The extension of the council’s funding of the five libraries to the end of July would also allow the finalising of leasehold arrangements, checks relating to new volunteers, and the completion of training.
The extension means in the interim the libraries at Bembridge, East Cowes and Shanklin would continue to operate for 21 hours a week, and those at Brighstone and Niton for ten hours a week.
The cost to the council of an extension from the end of June to the end of September is estimated at £31,000, including staffing and operating costs.
It is anticipated all the community libraries would be in place by September, but any not transferred by the end of September, and where progress on negotiations is not being made, may well close. If this happens, the area in question would receive a mobile library service, probably for a half-day each week – with the hours arranged to coincide with the end of the school day at a local school.
Image: My Name’s Axel under CC BY 2.0
