We know just how popular our Libraries Services are, and how important they are to their local communities.
We have had to make significant budget cuts to all of our services over the last five years amounting to more than £33million – and have had to cut more than £62m from our overall budget since economic austerity measures were introduced by the UK government in 2007/8.
Due to our financial position after more than a decade of austerity, and the likely financial challenges we’ll have to face in the coming years, we have to make cuts of £300,000 to Wrexham Library Service over the next two years.
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So we need to look ahead at the types of changes we’re going to need to make to libraries.
Not all of the changes we’ll make to the services will be down to cuts alone – some of them will be changes we’ll make in order to modernise the service, to make the service relevant and sustainable going forward.
The consultation will go live on Monday, September 30.
Links with Contact Wrexham
There are also some other interesting possibilities for our Libraries Services.
By the end of 2020, we need to vacate our Contact Wrexham offices on Lord Street.
We may have a good opportunity to use libraries to accommodate Contact Wrexham staff more widely across the county borough, and provide them with more flexible locations.
But that’s also something on which we’d need the public’s views, so it’s vital that you take part in the consultation.
Roadshows
We’ll also have public roadshows on the consultation on the following dates, libraries and locations:
- Sept 30 – Wrexham Library: 10am until noon; 2pm until 4pm, and 4pm and 6pm.
- October 1 – Tŷ Pawb: 10am to 3pm
- October 2 – Overton: 3pm to 5pm
- October 4 – Coedpoeth: 3pm to 5pm
- October 14 – Rhosllanerchrugog: 3pm to 5pm
- October 15 – Gwersyllt: 3pm to 5pm
- October 16 – Brynteg: 3pm to 5pm
- October 17 – Chirk: 3pm to 5pm
- October 18 – Llay: 3pm to 5pm
- October 19 – Wrexham: 10am to noon; 1pm until 3pm
- October 28 – Ruabon: 3pm to 5pm
- October 30 – Cefn: 3pm to 5pm.
- November 6 – Canolfan Glyn Ceiriog: 10am to noon
- November 7 – Tŷ Pawb: 10am to 3pm
- November 11 – Brymbo Enterprise Centre: 10am until noon
- November 12 – Splash Magic: 5pm to 7pm
- November 13 – Acton Resource Centre: 3pm to 7pm
- November 14 – Rhostyllen (mobile library): 2pm to 4pm
- November 15 – Holt (Cae’r Llew – mobile library): 9.45am until noon.
- November 21 – Caia Park Partnership – 11am until 1pm.
“Will do our utmost to make sure all communities have access to a modern library service”
Cllr Andrew Atkinson, Lead Member for Youth Services and Anti-Poverty, said: “In light of the financial challenges we face, we will – unfortunately – have to make a number of changes to our Libraries Service, to make sure they remain viable and sustainable well into the future.
“But as well as having to make changes in line with cuts, some of the planned changes will make the service more convenient and accessible for library users. And there is also the possibility that Contact Wrexham services could be integrated with libraries.
“But we need the public’s views on all of the above to let us know which way to proceed – as such, I would encourage all library users, and communities, to take part in the consultation and make their views known.”
To take part in the consultation once it goes live, visit our Your Voice website.
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