The Council are consulting on the future of York’s Libraries. It seems that they may be taken out of direct council control possibly using a similar model to those employed when the Museums and Theatre Royal became independent in the past.

There is bound to be anxiety about the future of a service which has gone from strength to strength over recent years. User numbers have increased in the wake of the “Explore” library modernisation programme.

It would be wrong to put that progress at risk.

York Libraries are one of the few Council services to actually publish performance statistics on their web site. As such they already set a benchmark for others to seek to emulate.

There is a feeling in some quarters that the Council just want to reduce expenditure on this service. For example, short term library closures – because of “staffing issues” – have been introduced this week.

Residents can respond to the Councils consultation at the following web site http://www.york.gov.uk/leisure/Libraries/whatson/consultation/

NB. There is a Craft Fayre at the York Explore Library on Saturday 17th November. Contact them if you want a stall.