Time running out to have say of library staffing cuts

A consultation on Buckinghamshire Council’s plans to cut the staffed library opening hours while increasing non-staffed hours ends today.

Members of the public have been asked to share their views on ‘Library Flex’ by 11:59pm on Wednesday, September 18, with the full details available here: shorturl.at/BlMBq.

The council plans to introduce Library Flex at the county libraries in Amersham, Aylesbury, Beaconsfield, Buckingham, Chesham, Hazlemere, Marlow and Princes Risborough from Spring 2025.

Burnham and High Wycombe have not been included in Library Flex due to difficulties in adapting the buildings, although the council is proposing to close High Wycombe Library on Sundays and instead opening it on Mondays.

The council plans to use new ‘self-service technology’ at the other eight libraries to reduce staffed hours by 25-30 per cent and save £555,000 per year, with the ‘potential to gradually increase the total opening hours by 50 per cent or more’.

At the same time, the council plans to encourage volunteers, ‘friends of libraries’ groups, community organisations and council services to use the libraries to ‘retain a safe and welcoming environment’ when there are no staff on site.

Buried near the bottom of a 22-page document about changes to the libraries, the council says its plans could result in a ‘headcount reduction’ of 18-20 full-time equivalent members of staff, which it warns ‘could trigger redundancy and pension strain costs’.

A separate equality impact assessment says that the ‘staff structure’ of the council’s library service ‘will need to be revised’, with a staff ‘restructure’ planned for January 2025.

The assessment says the plans might negatively impact children, elderly users and people with disabilities who might not be able to use the new self-service library equipment.

Toilets in the libraries will remain available when staff are on site but are set to be closed during unstaffed hours, according to the council’s proposals. This could have a ‘negative impact’ on pregnant library users and those with babies, as well as people with disabilities, according to the assessment.

Cllr Julia Wassell told the Local Democracy Reporting Service: “I don’t think that self-service is the answer to increasing use of libraries or changing service provision.”

The Wycombe independent, who represents Totteridge and Bowerdean, has previously spoken out against the ‘swingeing cuts’ under Library Flex and this week stressed the importance of library staff amid the prospect that some could soon be made redundant.

She said: “Librarians are far more than being behind the counter these days. They are out in the community at community events.

“They are helping people with computer access and things like researching their family trees, they could be even more widely utilised for activities. They have a wealth of knowledge about the local area, academia and general reading.”

The self-service technology to be fitted in the eight libraries chosen for Library Flex includes kiosks allowing people aged 16 and over to return and borrow books using their membership card, once they have attended an induction.

It also includes access to printing, computers, wi-fi, room hire and study facilities during quieter periods without staff being present, while staff will still be available at busier times.

Under Library Flex, the council will make changes to the doors, lighting, fire alarms, intruder alarms and CCTV cameras of libraries.

New automated door controls will allow users to enter the library by using their membership card, while cameras will provide ‘360’ coverage with ‘no blind spots’ and be monitored from the council’s control room.

Meanwhile, panic buttons and emergency phone facilities will be fitted in case of ‘illness or harassment’ and door sensors will be installed to ‘reduce tail-gating’.

Library staff will be able to operate the Tannoy system to remotely to react to ‘live incidents’, while all exits will ‘unlock’, and the self-service technology will be ‘disabled’ in the event of a fire or other incident.

Cllr Wassell said: “People in Amersham, Aylesbury, Beaconsfield, Buckingham, Chesham, Hazlemere, Marlow and Princes Risborough should reject Library Flex as much as they possible can.

“Some of these places are quite isolated, they are small places, so I can’t imagine anyone getting there very quickly if you are using self-service.

“It undermines the whole library experience in my view. Even if you are not a library user, you should be thinking about the people who are or could be.”

Clive Harriss, the council’s cabinet member for culture and leisure claimed that the ‘traditional and much-loved library service’ had evolved over time and required Library Flex to provide a ‘modern library service’ to reflect the changes.

He said: “While book-lending remains the core focus of our libraries, the way people use their local library has evolved and developed over the years.

“As well as borrowing books, residents now go to their local library to get online, to meet people, and to access other council services and support.”

The cabinet member added that many library users now use the council’s electronic library services to access e-books remotely.

Clive Harriss argued that Library Flex would help create a ‘relevant, value for money and flexible’ service while making savings, and he thanked people for sharing their views on the council’s plans.

He added: “Finally, it’s important to correct a lot of misinformation about this proposed policy. This is not a reduction in opening hours.

“In fact, libraries would be open for longer, on a more flexible basis, with many users able to access what they need without the need for face-to-face contact, which is still being maintained during core hours for those who do value or need to speak to a librarian.”

The council will consider the public responses to Library Flex and the plans for High Wycombe and Burnham libraries before detailed proposals and an implementation plan for each library are presented to cabinet in November 2024.

For more details of the plans and how to have your say: shorturl.at/BlMBq