'Book bus' axed due to decline in use

The book bus has been stationed in Tynemouth on Mondays and Fridays

A mobile library service is to be axed following a decline in use.

The book bus has been visiting Tynemouth twice weekly since the closure of the library in 2020, and it also serves care home and sheltered accommodation residents.

North Tyneside Council has now said that it will be scrapped due to low usage and that the vehicle has reached the end of its lifespan.

However, Lewis Bartoli, the Conservative councillor for Tynemouth, has called for it to be retained saying that to axe it while the library remained closed was a "cruel decision".

The Local Democracy Reporting Service said that according to the Labour-led authority, the bus is now only used 22 times a day, with 90 care home and sheltered accommodation residents using it in the past month.

It said that residents in supported living arrangements would still be able to receive home library deliveries or rotating collections of books.

Councillor Hannah Johnson, cabinet member for the environment, with responsibility for sports, leisure and libraries, said: "Our community hubs and libraries are now busier than ever and we'll make sure the small number of remaining users are fully supported.

"We're contacting people directly to help them."

Bartoli said: "Residents in Tynemouth have been without a library for almost five years.

"The book bus has been a lifeline for elderly and vulnerable residents across Tynemouth since its closure.

"To remove this service now, with no sign of when the physical library will reopen, is cruel.

"I hope the mayor will reconsider and delay this change until the new library is finally open."