Up to three community libraries could close while customer services look likely to be moved out of the town hall and into remaining libraries in Brighton and Hove.
The possible changes are outlined in a report to Brighton and Hove City Council’s People Overview and Scrutiny Committee.
The report said that the closures of the yet unidentified libraries were part of a £250,000 saving plan over two years. The council currently spends £3.7 million a year on libraries.
Opposition councillors have already raised concerns – during the annual budget meeting – about reduced opening hours at the Jubilee Library, in Brighton, and at the Carnegie Library, in Hove, to save £69,000.
A report to the People Overview and Scrutiny Committee said that at least 10 libraries in Brighton and Hove would stay open, maintaining a “geographic spread”.
Seven community libraries have been co-located with other services, including at the Whitehawk Hub, Saltdean Lido, Westdene School and Hollingbury Old Boat Community Centre.
Councils are required to provide a comprehensive library service.
The report said: “A range of mitigations have been identified to offset the impact of reductions in public library services.
“These include but are not limited to Libraries Extra (which) enables customers to access libraries when they are unstaffed, contributing to the accessibility of services.
“A full range of online services, with free access to e-books and e-audio, are available 24/7.
“The home delivery service delivers library resources direct to the homes of those who cannot come to a library due to disability or caring responsibilities.”
The February budget papers included a £27,000 cut to the home delivery service by “deleting a vacant post”.
The report to the People Overview and Scrutiny Committee said that the customer service centres at Hove Town Hall and Bartholomew House, in Brighton, were due to close from Tuesday 6 May.
Instead, a face-to-face customer service helpdesk would operate at the Jubilee Library and at Hove Library from 10am to 5pm Monday to Friday.
Library staff are receiving training and customer service staff will be working in the libraries in May to help with the transition.
The report said: “Existing customer service capacity will be integrated with the library officer role, which will result in a team of 40 library officers with enhanced skills to provide face-to-face support.
“All library staff will be trained to understand common council processes and to effectively assist customers with inquiries, eg, parking and council tax inquiries, supporting digitally excluded residents, signposting to Library Connect digital support volunteers.”
Self-service customer computers and phone lines would also be made available in all 13 public libraries. But a separate “front door” for housing need customers was required, the report said.
Skills and employability services would also move to the Jubilee Library from September.
In July 2023, the council closed Mile Oak Library because of low visitor numbers as part of budget cuts.
The People Overview and Scrutiny Committee is due to meet at Hove Town Hall at 4pm next Tuesday (18 March). The meeting is scheduled to be webcast on the council’s website.
Support library services into cheaper venues, like community centres. They have better recourse to additional funding, and are more sustainable in the long-term. Then network them together with the main libraries in a hub and spoke model, again saving costs.
There’s ways to do this outside of just shutting a few down, in my opinion.
In their 2023 manifesto -Brighton Labour gave the impression they’d be utilising libraries more as community hubs. Now it turns out they are not really doing that and reducing access to them. In case you’re interested, the bit in their manifesto reads:
“Our libraries, which already provide information about council and community services, along with many underused rooms and halls and churches in our neighbourhoods, can be developed into places where people can meet, find information and advice, share activities.”
They focus on saving what is a minimal amount in scheme of their budget, whilst wasting millions on useless vanitary projects. Pity our local democracy to vote them out was removed in local authority amalgamations.
Maybe if they cut back on those “golden” pensions or stopped the vanity projects.
Humouring you; they’d do nothing to change this, as they are different financial pots.
Time for a deep dive into how much money this useless council wastes… batten down the hatches
Shocking. It’s time to demand the accounts from the 151 Officer otherwise known in some councils as “Graham Bourne” on how our council spend its mysterious Unallocated Fund?
Plus all that CIL tax they are now supposed to be getting from developers to invest in the community in return for being allowed to uglify the city.
I am also guessing there is plenty left in the equality and diversity kitty too. What is more EDI than a public Library open 7 days a week?
Here’s Cllr Jacob Taylor claiming vital services have been protected only three weeks ago. The phrase you’re looking for is ‘statutory services’ Mr Taylor, of which Libraries form one.
https://www.brighton-hove.gov.uk/news/2024/councillors-set-ps924-million-budget-202425#:~:text=23%20February%202024-,Councillors%20set%20%C2%A3924%20million%20budget%20for%202024%2F25,adult%20and%20children%27s%20social%20care.
What is this ‘unallocated fund’?
I read most of the budhet papers and saw no mention of such a fund so please tell us what it is.
The council don’t intend to close three libraries though ! Times have to be reduced at the central libraries due to financial savings having to be made. But this is completely false that 3 libraries will be closing soon.
What’s happening to the existing customer service staff once they’ve trained-up the library staff? Are they going to be located in the libraries, be the ones offering a phone service or what? In my opinion, these staff are already very experienced and trained. I can imagine if they have an aggressive customer in the library, lots of projectiles to be thrown and damaged.
How does one become an aggressively angry user of a library?
One of the many benefits of Libraries. They are just about the only pleasant, customer-serving face of the Council left and unlikely to attract anger and abuse. The council depletes its last remaining enjoyable, not to mention a lifeline for many, customer service experience at its peril.
My interpretation of the customer services at Bartholomew House and Hove Town Hall. I’ve taken it to mean the library staff taking on that role as well. Well, I hope not. ” Instead, a face-to-face customer service helpdesk would operate at the Jubilee Library and at Hove Library” .
no need for them in this day and age. Would be cheaper to give a free PC and broadband to anyone who still uses them as they have no other option
And there I was believing Bella Sankey and Jacob Taylor that they didn’t pass a cuts budget. Turns out they did just that.
More accurately, a real-terms reduction budget, or flat budget. Having to do more with less isn’t a deliberate choice.
Neither are known for their honesty. Or financial due diligence because guess what? They can always find money for what THEY want!
Nope, three libraries are not about to close. This is completely false !
So shocked that these essential services are being taken away
No, this is false news! Three libraries are not about to close !
This is absolutely disgusting. They have all the money in the world to write off the i360 debt, impose new road layouts to snarl the roads up and cameras to fine us everywhere we go but none for essential public services which they have a STATUTORY DUTY to provide?
We need a class action against what’s being done against the people of this city and to hold the Council Leader and overpaid CEO, who is on more than the Prime Minister, personally liable for their mismanagement and malfeasance in public office.
It’s not like they had a choice on the i360 debt, and the transport stuff relies on specific funding from central government. If you spent half as much time educating yourself about how local government works as you do fulminating on here, the comments section would be a lot nicer to read.
The transport “stuff” is not completely funded by central government – which is also OUR money. Up to a third of each unwanted vanity project such as VG3 and Kingsway to the Sea is subsidised by local tax payers – clearly being prioritised over the delivery of statutory basic services. Where too did the money come from to pay CEO Jess Gibbons a package worth up to £220k after an unspectacular two years at Bournemouth Council – and what a dump that once-attractive seaside resort is also fast becoming! As for the i360 debt write off, the residents, as usual got given no say on any options, despite being expected to suffer the financial pain of a white elephant which should not even have been lawful, using public money to fund a private enterprise! And no opportunity to make any suggestions, when we all know there are very few professionals working as either Officers or Councillors, financially competent to make or to sign off on a £51m decision, never mind consider and mitigate all the knock-on effects to the city and its occupants.
Labour = cuts
Is that what people voted for?
We would not have to close any if the council didn’t waste tax payer money on the i360 and then just write that money off and selling it away to a private investor. Isn’t it fantastic when the council removes things that are beneficial to the community and favour greedy private investors!
Higher council tax, fewer services. Never trust new Labour
This is a completely false item of news. The council are NOT about to close 3 libraries !