Wrexham Council to carry out review of library services across the county borough

A complete review of libraries across the county borough is to be carried out in the next year in a bid to modernise the service and help “bridge the gap” in the Wrexham Council’s budget.

The review featured as part of Wrexham Council’s recent ‘Difficult Decisions’ budget process, with 58 per cent of participants saying that they supported a full review of the local library service.

Wrexham Council operates 11 libraries across the county borough – including the mobile library – at a cost of over £1 million a year.

However it is estimated that by considering “options for community run libraries and lone working options for branch libraries and identify where further costs can be reduced for non front line services”, could save the council £130,000.

In a bid to make these savings the local authority have proposed that over the next year a complete review into Wrexham’s libraries is carried out to help modernise the service and make savings. It is the second time a review of the library service has featured in a budget consultation in the past two years, with Wrexham Council proposing similar to make savings of £57,000 last year.

However Wrexham Council says that it “simply cannot continue with current spending in this area, therefore if we do not carry out this full scale review of library services, there will still need to be changes”.

It adds: “We have identified some possible options for saving money for 2019/20 (including potentially having to change the way we deliver library services in specific areas of the county) however it’s unlikely that these changes will contribute to the effectiveness of the service, or help to deliver a modernised service which meets local need; and there may still need to be further reductions in this area in future.”

Suggestions put forward by the public include:

• • Income generation – e.g. charging membership fee, renting out space, computer use, having cafes, seek sponsorship  (122 suggestions)
  • Transfer libraries to private / third sector orgs / Community Councils and seek more volunteers to help run them (58 suggestions)
  • Co-locate in other council buildings, community buildings, schools or Ty Pawb (57 suggestions)
  • Only have one library in town-centre and close all others (50 suggestions)
  • A review is needed to make best use of resources / meet customer needs / modernise the service – ensure staff are involved (49 suggestions)
  • Use library buildings for other public services as well / make greater use of providing services in communities (46 suggestions)

Another suggestion was to create a ‘Storyhouse’ model similar to up the road in Chester – which has seen the library merge into a cultural space with a restaurant, theatre and cinema.

However the most popular responses were in support of the libraries in their current form, with 129 respondents agreeing that: “Libraries are community assets and should be maintained – they are local meeting spaces and also help prevent loneliness and isolation and are used by schools.”

A further 122 said: “Service they provide is essential to families, the elderly and people on low incomes (e.g. those that can’t afford computers / WiFi / books and job seekers)”; along with 65 who said no libraries should close and the service should remain as it.

A further 75 people suggested that libraries are not needed and that the council should digitalise services and train people in how to use them / provide tablets to those in greatest need

The last time a full review of Wrexham’s library service took place was in 2013/14 when it was recommended that three local libraries – Rhos, Brymbo and Gresford – were closed.

A revised recommendation put forward in November 2013 proposed:  “In order to achieve the required saving of £92,000, it is recommended that this committee choose between the following two options, which would have been subject to consultation.

“The first, close Brymbo and Gresford with a 19% reduction in other libraries. The second option is the original recommendation of the original three libraries closing from 1st April 2014.”

This recommendation to close the two libraries was approved in January 2014, with Gresford Library later being taken over by a trust.