Tuesday, March 06, 2012

Library cuts bite

Changes are afoot in Birmingham's library system. The news for Acocks Green is that because our library is so popular in the community, it is secured as one of the primary libraries around the city and will be assured of funding for 40 hours opening time each week. The actual breakdown of those hours is a matter for the constituency to decide, but it is likely to be five days including Saturday and one late night, which is a disappointing reduction on the current six-day opening.

It is possible that further funding may be found from the Community Chest to restore the lost day, but that's still to be decided. Perhaps this is a question worth asking - should £10,000 of the ward's allocation be spent here on or on other projects? Which has the most value to you as a resident? Let me know.

Across the city, library hours have been cut by 13.7%, but worryingly, the library staff in the constituency libraries (excluding Central) have been cut back by 27% since 2010.

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