Council's libraries assessment is underway

Contractor appointed and findings expected by end of August

THE independent assessment of West Berkshire Council’s library service started last month.

The council was told by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) that it must carry out a Needs Assessment before closing any of its libraries.

The aim of the assessment is to inform how the service should be developed in the future.

The Needs Assessment will be based on a wide range of information including data on how it is currently used, the demographics of communities and the responses to the public consultation held earlier this year.

The assessment will take around three months to complete with a report expected to be provided to the council by the end of August.

West Berkshire Council said that, over the next year, the library service would “have to change” following a significant reduction in government funding.

Data collection firm RedQuadrant has been commissioned to carry out the assessment and the council said that it expected to use around £30,000 of the ‘transitional funding’ it received from central government to fund it.

The council is currently considering a range of options including fewer branch libraries, an increase in self-service or libraries run by local communities.

It says that no decisions will be taken until later this year and that all branch and mobile libraries remain open as usual in the meantime.

A meeting to update community groups was held on Thursday, June 2.

There will be future opportunities for parish councils and supporters who have not been involved in the assessment so far to take part, and details will be announced soon.

Councillor Hilary Cole, the executive member for culture, said: “We can’t afford to keep our library service as it is so what it offers and how it is run will need to change.

“Our aim is to find a sustainable model which allows us to provide a good library service whilst still living within our means each year.