Devon County Council has reversed its proposed library services funding cuts, which were expected to reduce core library opening hours by 30%, following significant public opposition to its plans.
A twelve-week consultation on the proposals which it launched late last year received more than 25,000 responses – the most of any consultation it has held – and users at several libraries across the county mounted protests against the proposed changes.
At its 20 May cabinet meeting the county council subsequently decided to maintain current service levels and agreed an additional £1 million library services budget.
It also said it would continue to roll out Open Plus, a technology that enables library access when staff are not present, and agreed to develop a new volunteer strategy after more than 6,000 library users said they would be willing to give up their time to support library service provision.
Libraries Unlimited, an independent charity which has run Devon’s libraries on behalf of the county council since 2018, welcomed the outcome.
