'A new low': librarians warn councils against closing services

After Swindon announces plans to hand over running of 14 of its 15 library services to volunteers or close them, professionals warn of dire consequences

The head of the UK’s largest body of professional librarians has warned that we could be “heading for a new low” after details emerged of Swindon’s plans to hand over responsibility for almost all of its 15 libraries by 2020.

Swindon borough council currently runs 15 libraries, but has said that due to “financial pressures it is no longer affordable to run the library service in its current format”. It needs to cut its library budget by around £1.5m, from its current level of £2.6m, by 2020. It has now proposed that it continues to fund just its central library, with further facilities to be “self-managed, resourced and operated by communities, partners or volunteers”. The announcement comes just before National Libraries Day on 6 February.

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