Councils' plan to save 23 libraries

12 April 2012

A total of 23 libraries in south London could have their services outsourced to save them from closure or having their hours cut. LoveFilm or Blockbuster could be involved in handling the DVD borrowing service.

Council bosses in Wandsworth and Croydon are looking at merging and handing management of the libraries to the private sector or voluntary organisations. Under the scheme, council staff would also be permitted to apply to run libraries.

The two councils will now begin short-listing organisations with the best credentials before beginning a competitive tendering process to determine which offer represents the best value.

They said that if the scheme proves successful, they hope that other councils would follow suit. Dozens of libraries across London face closure as a result of council cuts.

Campaigners in Brent, where six of its 12 libraries face the axe, are awaiting the outcome of a High Court appeal after they argued that the plans were unlawful.

The Royal Courts of Justice is due to give its verdict tomorrow.

Wandsworth council's Jonathan Cook, said: "Like every council, we have to reduce spending but we are not prepared to follow what so many others have done and close down local branches.

Instead we will investigate every possible alternative including running the service in partnership with other councils and bringing in outside experts to take over day-to-day management.

"Every option will be carefully compared in terms of cost and quality but only solutions that ensure the future provision of our entire branch network will make it past the first hurdle."

Croydon councillor Sara Bashford said: "We need to become even more efficient and make further savings.

"This is a way of doing that while ensuring our residents retain the service they told me was so important to them."

A deal between Hammersmith & Fulham, Westminster, and Kensington and Chelsea councils aims to save more than £1million a year on libraries.

At the same time, Merton and Richmond councils are planning to extend library opening hours.

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