Proposed cuts to library opening hours

HelenM

Haringey Council is proposing to cut branch library opening hours, including at Stroud Green & Harringay Library, by 38%, in order to save £150k - not a huge saving considering that it needs to cut £20m this time around as grants from central Government are cut once again. Councils across the UK are seeing huge cuts in their funding - and it is unedifying to be put in the position of arguing against the cutting of one vital service when it might impact on another service elsewhere - but the plan to save this amount by reducing such a vital service from 58 hours per week to 36 hours seems particularly harsh. Libraries and parks are our communal free-to-access public spaces and, when it is raining, libraries are our only open public space where everyone is welcome. Libraries take much of the hidden strain in society, and the Library Friends' groups across the borough believe it would be a false economy, as demand for other and more expensive public services will increase as a result. Going ahead with this plan would mean all 6 branch libraries in Haringey would likely be closed when residents need them the most. What can you do to help? Haringey Council is currently running a public consultation on its proposed budget cuts. You can respond to them with your thoughts (Questions 2 and 4) by clicking here: http://www.haringey.gov.uk/survey/budget-2017-18

miss annie

I think that libraries should be open much later at night so that working people and seniors who spend evenings alone can use them, and do some activities later in the day too. There are hundreds of things on locally in the mornings and afternoons but almost nothing in the evenings.
Libraries always seem desperate to just keep to office hours.

grenners

Cut the foreign aid budget and help our own.....could pay for social care.....

miss annie

Councils have been given freedom to increase council tax, by a tiny amount, to help fund social care.

grenners

......yes I know.....all I'm saying is there is all sorts of waste which means we could pay for these things...

Ali

there is also all sorts of tax avoidance going which if paid we could use to pay for these things.

grenners

....yes get some huge corporates to pay for the libraries.....and stop giving our taxes to despots in far away lands.....