Discussions on future of Kingsclere library continue until end of March

At a meeting last month, Hampshire county councillor, Keith Chapman, (Con, Calleva and Kingsclere), the county council’s executive member for culture, recreation and countryside, ruled that discussions with Kingsclere Village Club would continue, with a view to transfer the running of village’s library to the club on March 31.
The controversial move to close the library would save £23,500 per year as part of measures aimed at slashing county council library costs by a total £300,000 in the next financial year, which begins on April 1.
Kingsclere Parish Council chairman, Alan Denness, said that some 20 volunteers had stepped forward to run the library.
“We are hoping that a co-ordinating team of about three will be responsible for organising the volunteers,” he said. “I have great confidence that we will be able to run it with volunteers for one year.”
He added hopes of a start-up grant to cover the costs of running the library for a year, which would include the library’s computer which is available for use by the general public.
Kingsclere library will otherwise be closed at the end of March and replaced with a mobile library service in April.
The library, located within Kingsclere Village Club, George Street, is this month hosting a display on dementia awareness.
The author of the month is British comedy and mystery series writer, Ann Granger.
Kingsclere library also provides free Wi-Fi and one hour free internet access.