Mobile libraries are to be axed as part of radical cost-cutting measures.
The move is set to be approved by council chiefs in Manchester tomorrow as part of a bid to save £3m.
Councillors also want to replace two community libraries with 'book exchanges' run entirely by local volunteers.
Opening hours will be reduced at remaining libraries across the city – although plans for Saturday closing have been scrapped.
The town hall is looking to save a total of £110m this year – including £3m from its library service – after being hit with huge budget cuts by the government.
Council chiefs originally warned a number of libraries could close completely but have been working to ease the impact.
Under the latest proposals, mobile libraries would be replaced with a 'dial-a-book' home service for vulnerable and immobile residents.
The 'book exchanges' would be introduced to replace Clayton library, in east Manchester, and Rack House library, in Wythenshawe.
Books and computers would be provided by the council – but communities would have to find their own venue and manage and staff the scheme themselves.
Service users would not have library cards, as it would not be officially council-run.
Hulme library is set to move into Moss Side leisure centre as part of the plans.
Miles Platting library will stay open until a better building can be found, while Barlow Moor library, in Chorlton, will remain until next summer – with the community expected to get more involved in running it after that.
East City library, in Openshaw, will be passed to Manchester College and remain available to students.
The new proposals have been drawn up after a public consultation that saw 3,700 people respond.
Nearly 900 said they were prepared to volunteer in order to keep local services open.
Almost half said they would rather pay higher fees and charges - or see opening hours slashed - than see libraries shut completely.
Mike Amesbury, the council's lead member for leisure, said the number of potential volunteers was 'incredible and a pleasant surprise'.
He said: “One fantastic message to come out of the consultation was that they wanted to maintain as much as possible of the community network of libraries.”
Coun Amesbury said he hoped the overall library plan left scope for the service to grow again in the future.
He added: “Manchester clearly does love its library service.
“Some of the more unfortunate things we have had to do, because of the unfair cuts situation, are an unwanted blip.”
Tweet
Comments
Login or Register to comment
I was knocked over by a mobile library once. As I lay on the road, screaming, the driver got out and said "Shhhhhhhh."
Maybe they should have demanded more from Manchester City F.C instead of the paltry 4 million City are giving them out of the 150 million City are getting for re naming a ground that belongs to the council ?
I like the sound of 'Dial A Book' although to be honest they could probably give every old dear in town a couple of Mills & Boon's for free and it would only cost the council about twenty quid.
I would encourage people to have a look at http://manchesterlitlist.blogspot.com/2011/04/overdrives-ebook-audiobook-apps-for.html which allows you to borrow books and audiobooks electronically from Manchester Libraries
Don't get the violins out - but I had a tough childhood in and out of care, etc, and I escaped the chaos around me by reading and spending time in the library, part of which I credit with helping me do well in school and going on to be one of the very few looked after children to get a degree.
The community needs mobile libraries, especially people who can't travel miles to one of the few libraries left open, and older people need the human interaction they get from the staff on the mobile library bus too. Plus, part of the joy of libraries, even mobile ones, is browsing through the books in front of you and chatting to people about which books are worth reading or which ones have information you need.
How is the 'dial a book' scheme going to work? Hopefully it will be free to use, with a real person answering the phone and not an automated system? Could some of MCC's Big Society volunteers run a mobile service?
It's a shame that MCC are doing this - but good might come of it if they could go on to get 900 people to volunteer to clean the City's streets, which are particularly filthy recently due to 'The Tory Cuts'
Don;t worry about the £3 million pound cuts to Manchester, in fact there should really be more of them. Don't people realise that Dave needs all this money so he can give away even more for schools in Pakistan or Africa, or maybe in India (a country with a nuclear bomb & space programme!), or perhaps China.
So just remember the people of Manchester don't need public money, there's plenty of other people in foreign countries who Dave thinks need it more than you lot 'oop North'.
About time to be honest, although they do serve a very good purpose mobile libraries are really a luxury and due to the economy such luxuries need to be scrapped.
It's not like we don't have enough libraries.
@Mister Bit,
Surely the primary reason for the state of the streets is the careless and thoughtless residents of Manchester who throw their rubbish on the ground, drink themselves to vomit and let their dogs foul the pavements?
People should address the cause, not the symptoms.
Where are all the millions of £s that the council has stashed in banks and property for 'rainy days' there is no need for the too deep cuts . the council seems to be using this for purely political propaganda . Wake up the 'Rainy Days ' have arrived
I use the mobile library for myself and my wife who is disabled and has no sight. I looked at the figures that were produced in the so consultation period (They had already decided that the mobile as to close. It was interesting that the mobile library was the most use in terms of books out and in. The two least used with large ethnic populations are staying open. The mobile library is used by people who I suspect have paid their dues in their working life and now are having a vital link cut. I am not a racist just being realistic. The MEN could do us a favour by publishing how the councillors voted on this, we can then use this to help us decide at the next election.
Take a 20% pay cut Leeson, thats £20k to help the cause....!!!
The council are spending £160m doing up the Town Hall and Central Library so maybe people can pop down to the important library once it is finished. The money is there, it is what it is spent on by the council.