Proposals to cut opening hours of Somerset libraries

The county council asked staff and customers about preferred opening times for libraries

Libraries in Somerset could have their opening hours reduced as part of spending cuts.

The county's 23 libraries would open up to an hour later in the mornings and also close earlier.

The measures, which include compulsory redundancies to library staff, will save more than £200,000 over two years.

A decision has already been made to cut funding to six libraries from September. Five will lose their funding next year but no date has yet been set.

If local communities do not take up the council's offer to run these libraries, they will close once the funding is cut.

Some libraries will also close on certain days with Taunton, Crewkerne and Ilminster closing on Monday and Chard shutting on Tuesdays.

Yeovil library will close on Saturday afternoons, but Glastonbury library which is currently closed on Wednesdays, will re-open.

The county council has proposed cutting opening hours by 20% after analysing lending figures for each library over the past 12 months and the number of visitors over a four-week period.

A staff and customer questionnaire was also carried out asking for suggestions on which times and dates people wanted libraries to be open.

Details about the opening hours of mobile libraries will be revealed at the end of May

Somerset County Council has said it needs to save £80m over the next three years after central government cuts to its budget.