Somerset Libraries Consultation 2018

I write to advise you that Cllr David Hall, Cabinet Member with responsibility for libraries for Somerset County Council, made the decision on the 18th January to go out to public consultation on the future delivery of library services across Somerset.
A public consultation is now planned to start on Monday 29 January and will last for 12 weeks, seeking to put the service on a sustainable footing for the long-term, at a time when all our council budgets are under enormous pressure.
Nine area proposals have been produced showing options on how to deliver library services in individual communities going forward.
In summary, under the proposals, 15 of our 34 libraries would be seeking community involvement to remain open. Where this is not possible, services would instead be provided either through outreach in community venues or through additional mobile library stops. For a further seven libraries, the County Council is consulting on two different options – either to seek community involvement or to keep existing library services as they currently are.

From Monday 29 January, members of the public, businesses and organisations will be asked to read the proposals online www.somerset.gov.uk/librariesconsultation and complete a questionnaire, basing their responses on the library they visit most often and putting forward possible alternative proposals for consideration.
Library services will continue across Somerset whatever the response from this consultation and no decisions will be made until after the consultation concludes on 22 April and all results are fully analysed. We expect to make a final decision in June/July.
The full decision to go to consultation paper can be viewed here: http://democracy.somerset.gov.uk/ieDecisionDetails.aspx?Id=632 Appendix 1 provides a summary of the proposals and Appendix 4 gives a schedule of events across the county being held as part of the forthcoming consultation.

If you have any questions about the proposals or the consultation process, please email librariesmail@somerset.gov.uk

Yours sincerely,
Strategic Manager Library Services
County Hall
The Crescent
Taunton
TA1 4DY
Tel: 01823 355429Mobile: 07977411581
Email: sacrowley@somerset.gov.uk