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Library hours changing
Hampshire’s Library Service has to make savings of £450,000 in response to budget cuts in 2012/13 and beyond.
"We believe that the only way we can do this is to reduce library opening hours in a consistent way across Hampshire.
Currently our libraries are open a total of 1,939 hours a week. We are proposing to reduce the total number of hours by 145.5 hours a week, a reduction of 7.5%.
Savings we have already made...
Since April 2009 we have undertaken a complete review of the Library Service. We have streamlined our ways of working, reduced staff at Library Headquarters and the number of managers across the Service and reviewed the Mobile Library Service. In total we have already made savings of £2.48m since April 2009.
We are aiming to construct a Library Service for the future, with an affordable network of libraries that can adapt to the needs of their local communities. In developing our proposals we have made every effort possible to minimise the impact on residents whilst achieving our budget targets.
Proposed changes to the Library Service...
We have identified a key library in each district council area across Hampshire. This library will be a central hub, offering the widest range of services to the community for the longest hours.
The other libraries in each district have been designated as large, medium, small or neighbourhood. Each designation has a minimum number of opening hours and all will be closed at least one day a week."
Liphook is designated as a neighbourhood library.
If the proposals go ahead Liphook Library will gain an opening on Thursday afternoons, but lose the 2pm to 7pm opening on Friday. The latest the library will be open to will be 5pm on Monday & Thursday.
The full proposed hours can be seen here -
www3.hants.gov.uk/library/...
Article posted on: 06 December 2011
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