Northumberland library escapes cut in opening hours after backlash

The changes were proposed as part of sweeping cost-cutting measures designed to both modernise the service and save hundreds of thousands of pounds.

Under the initial proposals, Prudhoe’s library at the Spetchells Centre would have been designated as one of seven “primary” libraries, with staffed hours reduced from 44.5 hours to 28.

However, at a meeting of the council’s communities and place scrutiny committee, officers admitted they hadn’t got the proposals right.

Instead Prudhoe will be made a “hub” library, open 43 hours per week. It forms part of a major overhaul of libraries designed to save more than £300,000.

The council say a key feature of the new mode is the blending of customer contact with library provision. This means there will be 21 locations across the county where people can physically access support and advice if they can’t access digital solutions to their queries – significantly extending reach into communities through library buildings.

Speaking at the meeting, council leader Glen Sanderson said: “The need for the library service has changed. Things have changed significantly.

“Not a great percentage of people visit a library every year, but they are really important to us because the library is often the only way they can socialise and enjoy the place they live in.

“Although it is a small proportion of people, they’ve very important to us. We have more libraries per 100,000 people than any other council in the LA7 – but it was coming an issue.

“Some have a very small amount of people on the books. Some are very close geographically.

“We said we would listen carefully and I’m really grateful to the people who have responded.”

New technology is also being pioneered, with self-service kiosks being introduced in some areas, with the first being planned for Wooler Library later this year.

Meanwhile, the Home Library Service will still be available for the most vulnerable people and volunteers will continue to visit them at home and deliver books/services to their door.

Savings have come from reducing hours, the amalgamation with customer services and a ‘small number’ of voluntary redundancies.

Head of customer experience Sarah Green said: “Almost 90% of our residents rated our library service as good, very good our outstanding. That demonstrates the importance of getting things right.

“We didn’t want to make things worse, we wanted to make them better. The proposals seek to protect and strengthen the library services and deliver the efficiencies we need to.

“We heard that with Prudhoe Library, we hadn’t got that proposal right. We now propose to increase the opening hours to 43 hours per week.”