Library opening hours could be cut to save cash

Bradford Council needs to reduce the library service's budget by around £175k

Opening hours at Bradford Council-run libraries could be reduced to save money, a new report has revealed.

The cuts could see libraries close over lunch, not open on some days during the week, or open later in the morning.

Bradford Council said the changes were "likely to have a significant impact on staff contracted hours and could result in the risk of redundancies".

The authority will also consider placing donation boxes in its libraries in a bid to bring more money into the cash-strapped service.

A report on planned savings in the library service also reveals that the council will no longer provide paper copies of national newspapers in libraries – a move expected to save £11,000 a year.

As part of a swathe of budget cuts - which the council says is needed to prevent the authority effectively becoming bankrupt - council bosses ordered a review of Bradford’s library services, as well as its sports and leisure services.

Libraries are a statutory service that councils must provide and Bradford Council operates 10 libraries across the district.

Other libraries are either "community-managed" or run as hybrid models.

On Wednesday Bradford Council's executive will discuss ways to reduce the library service's budget by about £175,000 in the next financial year.

'Difficult decisions'

A report to members lists a number of possible options, including reducing financial support for the community-managed libraries and switching libraries to more of a "self-service" model.

But members will be told the preferred option will be to reduce opening hours by about 15% at the 10 council-run libraries.

Councillor Sarah Ferriby, executive for healthy people and places, said: "We are already running these services at a low cost, this is necessary because of our low council tax base.

"But unfortunately, we have to make more savings and look at the services we provide and make some difficult decisions.

"This review will allow us to make informed decisions on our libraries services with consultation with our residents who use these services.

"We value all these services and know residents do too."

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