REDCAR & Cleveland Borough Council has launched a consultation exercise for its proposed changes to the library service.
It wants to find out what library users think about proposals to change some of the libraries’ opening hours, to modernise certain branches with self-service machines, to relocate two of the libraries, and to stop the mobile service.
The proposals would see none of the council’s 13 libraries close and more of them would have customer information and access to services in the future.
Residents can get involved by completing the survey online on the council’s consultation webpage at www.redcar-cleveland.gov.uk/haveyoursay.
The council will also be hosting drop-in sessions in the below library branches:
| Location | Date | Time |
| Loftus Library | Thursday 26 January 2017 | 2pm to 4pm |
| Roseberry Square Library | Tuesday 31 January 2017 | 2pm to 4pm |
| Brotton Library | Thursday 2 February 2017 | 2pm to 4pm |
| Dormanstown Library | Tuesday 7 February 2017 | 2pm to 4pm |
| Laburnum Library | Friday 10 February 2017 | 2pm to 4pm |
| Marske Library | Tuesday 14 February 2017 | 2pm to 4pm |
| Saltburn Library | Thursday 16 February 2017 | 2pm to 4pm |
The consultation will end on Monday 10 April 2017.
Councillor Alec Brown, cabinet member for neighbourhoods at Redcar & Cleveland Borough Council, said: “The council needs to find £25.6 million of cuts by 2020, £400,000 of which we are proposing to come from Library and Customer Engagement Services.
“Our proposals are to keep 13 building-based libraries open and we want to reassure mobile library users that we will work closely with them to ensure that they have access to our library service.
“We understand how important libraries are to each and every community and the utmost thought has been put into minimising the impact on the library service due to ongoing central government cuts.
“Before any decisions are taken, it is important that library users have the opportunity to give their views, so please attend one of the sessions or fill in the survey online.”