The plan is detailed in our Public Library Service Strategy, 'A Modern Library Service for Derbyshire', with the report 'Adoption of Library Strategy' (item 10 on the agenda) to be discussed by our Cabinet on Thursday 9 January 2025.
The strategy was first unveiled in draft form in July and is aimed at meeting necessary budget savings which the library service, alongside all council departments, must make to support the council setting a balanced budget over the course of its Five-Year Financial Plan up to 2028-2029.
The library service was tasked with delivering £910,000 of savings by 2028-2029, and has already achieved £285,000, leaving a total of £625,000 to be saved through the implementation of the strategy, if it is agreed, over the next 4 years.
While savings form an element of the new strategy, other aims are to reflect changing patterns of library use while ensuring the service remains as accessible, flexible, efficient and cost-effective as possible, and retaining the role of libraries as strong community hubs which can act as ‘front doors’ to other council services.
Derbyshire residents had the opportunity to make their views known on the plans contained in the strategy during a 12-week consultation launched in August, with more than 3,800 people taking part.
All the views given have now been considered and used to shape the final strategy which will be discussed by Cabinet in January.
Changes made to the strategy following consultation include altering proposed new opening and closing times to ensure more accessibility and flexibility for children, families, workers and shift workers, and ensuring most libraries serving larger communities were open until 6pm for one day a week.
The main points detailed in the Derbyshire Public Library Strategy are:
- to keep all libraries open but to reduce opening hours across the library network by an average of 10%, to be implemented from 2025-26. Opening hours would be localised for each community and would reflect the busiest periods
- to ensure all libraries open for a time on a Saturday, with all tier 1, 2 and 3 libraries also opening until 6pm once a week
- to investigate the use of self-service technology as a means of extending opening hours where organised groups of community volunteers can be formed
- to remove reservation charges for book and talking book requests, where the item is either in print or in stock in Derbyshire libraries, and remove charges for borrowing talking books, to mitigate some of the impact of a reduction in hours
- to merge the mobile service and home library service, to create one 'outreach' service for vulnerable customers and those living in remote areas. The outreach service would use a greener fleet of smaller, lower carbon vehicles, increasing efficiency, lowering costs and reducing the service's carbon footprint
- to review opportunities to make more efficient use of library buildings, where this can be achieved and either improve or not adversely impact the service. This could involve re-locating some libraries to new, lower cost, more energy-efficient sites, co-locating some libraries with other services/organisations or changing the layout of some library buildings to make them more efficient, flexible and accessible. These options if achieved would greatly reduce maintenance and running costs which are high in some older library buildings
- to improve digital provision in all libraries, including access to other council services and installation of self-service terminals in more of the smaller libraries to increase efficiency and accessibility
- to invite volunteers to help support access to library services outside of regular hours – where agreed and appropriate, by introducing a new way of managing provision termed 'community-supported libraries'
Of the current network of 43 council-run and 2 Community Managed Libraries (Woodville and Tideswell), only the council-run libraries would be affected by the reduction in opening hours detailed in the new strategy, and no library would be open for less than 16 hours per week.
The library at Belper will not be affected by any decisions which may follow further consultation to determine the future use of some of our remaining residential homes, which includes the Ada Belfield Centre.
Derbyshire County Council Leader and Cabinet Member for Strategic Leadership, Culture, Tourism and Climate Change Councillor Barry Lewis said:
“It is so important that despite our budget pressures we continue to provide a strong, modern, accessible library service to all our residents and communities. The fact that we received more than 3,800 responses during the public consultation shows that Derbyshire people feel as passionately about the service as we do, and I welcome the new strategy which sets out a clear path to securing the future of this valuable service.
“I have always said that no libraries will close on my watch and a lot of hard work, thought and planning has gone into developing this new strategy which we are confident will ensure libraries and the service as a whole can go from strength to strength for years to come.”
Councillor Lewis added:
“Over the next 4 years we will continue to develop and reshape the service, working with communities to explore re-location and co-location options which will strengthen what they can offer, making them more accessible while increasing footfall and ensuring they are as efficient as they can be. We had a lot of ideas and suggestions on this proposal during the consultation which is exciting and they will be followed up in due course.”