Volunteer victory for libraries in Surrey
Byfleet Library will be run by volunteersVolunteers were celebrating today after last night's Council ruling saw a reprieve to keep libraries open across the county.
The future of the county's libraries was under threat due to funding cuts, but last night Surrey County Council announced their decision to keep them all open with 10 being handed over to volunteers to run for the community.
The Council are giving carte blanche to volunteers to run the libraries as they see fit. A spokesperson said, "You can run your community library, you can have a say on how long the Library is open, you can have small groups coming in or a coffee shop in there should you wish. Young people are telling us that they want somewhere to go and sit, to have their own area, well you can make that in a community run library."
Surrey Council changed its mind after communities lobbied them not to follow the trend of other local authorities in cutting library services to meet the gaps in reduced government subsidies.
Campaigners were delighted with the outcome saying "We were absolutely determined to keep all of our 52 libraries being staffed by volunteers."
What a victory! Librarians lose their jobs and the council reneges on its responsibilities under the 1964 Act! I don't doubt that the campaigners are passionate about keeping their libraries open but at what cost? You know what they say "a library without librarians is just a building with books in"