Isle of Man family and mobile libraries could close over funding

The Family Library has been run as an independent charity since 2011

Both the family and mobile libraries on the Isle of Man may have to close if additional funding cannot be found, those behind the services have said.

Half of the libraries' £250,000 annual running costs have been donated by a benefactor since 2012, with the rest covered by a temporary government grant for the last two years.

Covid-19 meant replacing the grant has not been possible, a spokeswoman said.

She said "all options", including closure, would now be considered.

The Mobile Library visits about 130 people at home

The Family Library, on Westmoreland Road in Douglas, puts on interactive activities for children and delivers bespoke services to the island's schools, while the mobile library makes books and other resources available to those in remote areas or who are housebound.

They have been run as an independent charity since full funding for the services was pulled by the Department of Education in 2011 in response to reduction in the island's VAT income.

They came under threat in 2017 and were propped up by government funding while a Tynwald select committee investigated the overall provision of library facilities on the island.

The outcome of that led to politicians voting in favour of supporting the charity with a grant of £125,000 a year for two years, while further investigations were carried out.

That funding came to an end in April 2020, and a Council of Ministers working party set up to carry out the review has so far been unable to complete its work.

The charity running the services said staff "felt a burden of responsibility in the services that we provide and the people to which we provide them", which meant the review was vital to "find a way to service the people who need [the library], even if we are not able to do it anymore".