Shropshire Council has published the results of its Library opening hours review.
The library will close on Friday evenings and Saturday afternoons, but get an extra hour on Monday evenings.
I am very disappointed that the cuts to opening hours at Ludlow Library have been largely confirmed. I am quite angry that the library will be closed on Saturday afternoons. This is a busy time for the library. There a lot of people who use its facilities then who have been out at work all week.
The extra hour opening on Monday night is a small help but it seems completely arbitrary. There is no evidence that this extra hour will be well used. It is certainly not a substitute for the loss of busy Saturday afternoons.
Shropshire Council is trying to reduce demand for services by making them unavailable. People won’t be able to borrow books or use other services because the library doors will be closed. That will cut usage numbers further, giving Shropshire Council another excuse to cut library hours in the future.
We have to bear in mind that the cuts of six hours a week at Ludlow Library will save just £4,000 a year.
We need this service in Ludlow. The library is not just a centre for reading and education. It is a social centre where people meet and learn what is going on in our community.
I think Shropshire Council should reconsider its plans to close Ludlow Library on Saturday afternoons.
The new hours will be considered at Shropshire Council’s Cabinet meeting next Wednesday.
Proposed new opening hours for Ludlow
Monday: 9.30-6.00.
Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday: 9.30-5.00
Saturday: 9.30-1.00.
By the way – the seldom-mentioned talking books service is a lifeline for blind people and would be affected by any changes to the overall library provision.
In less than a year of community (one-to-one) volunteering I have spent time with three such people. It’s another consideration as the Council considers winding down the library to vanishing point.
I.agree with you about Saturday afternoons. When else would a working person be able to do everything but Saturdays?