Bristol libraries are closing 'by stealth' say users

Bristol Central Library is the only library in the city not to have unexpectantly closed for at least a day in 2024

There have only been two days in 2024 that all the libraries in Bristol have met their planned opening hours, BBC News has discovered.

There have been hundreds of closures as a result of ongoing staff shortages, which have plagued the service.

Neighbouring authorities have also cut library opening hours as part of cost-saving measures.

Bristol City Council said the process to recruit staff is ongoing and interviews are currently underway.

Bristol's libraries have been struggling to remain open since before the New Year after the council froze recruitment of librarians in an effort to balance its budget.

The council lifted this in January and begun actively seeking new workers, but despite this there has been an unprecedent 436 day closures across Bristol's 27 libraries this year.

Less than 24 hours notice was given before any of the closures, and in some cases users were informed of closures after the libraries were due to be open.

Anger on social media has been building over the last few months as residents have reported being "disappointed" with the service, particularly over the high number of Saturday closures - the most common day for libraries to shut.

If Bristol City Council wanted to shift the library hours permanently then it would have to carry out a public consultation as it is a statutory service - but a last-minute temporary closure does not require this.

Val Cobbins is a regular user of Brislington Library with her daughter

Val Cobbins, 50, from Brislington was a regular user of her local library Wick Road along with her daughter, who is studying for her A-levels. But this year Wick Road has been closed 27 times so far leaving her unable to rely on the service.

She told BBC Bristol: "It is a real shame you cannot assume any library in Bristol will stick to its opening time. You would be ill advised to just turn up anymore - it's kind of library closure by stealth."

Due to rising demand on services and inflation many local authorities across the UK are in financial difficulty and are having to cut their spending.

Last week South Gloucestershire Council announced that 12 libraries would close for an extra 40 hours between them as part of efforts to balance the books.

These libraries are located in the most deprived parts of the region but the council defended the decision.

Councillor Sean Rhodes, cabinet member for communities and local place, said that the footfall in these libraries was lower than other areas.

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BBC News found that those most regularly closed libraries in Bristol are also located in the most deprived parts of the city.

Val said libraries are vital for these communities as they struggle with the cost-of-living crisis.

"It is one of the few remaining community resources we have in Brislington where we don't have to spend money," she said.

Isobel Hunter, chief executive of Libraries Connected, the industry body for public libraries, said councils are not just facing financial difficulties but "also a recruitment crisis".

She said that during the Covid-19 pandemic many staff left for better-paid work in the hospitality sector and older staff also took the opportunity to retire.

Although the number of students choosing to undertake a course in Information Management has remained relatively stable over the last five years, few go on to work in the public sector, according to figures from the Higher Education Statistics Agency.

"There is still a perception issue for some libraries. I think it is true to say that that there is an issue in recruiting [younger] people from the library courses, showing that joining the public library can give you a really varied career," Isobel Hunter added.

Bristol City Council said it hopes to have the library vacancies filled by May.