Hampshire County Council is asking people who live, work and study in Hampshire to have their say on proposed changes to library services.

A 10-week public consultation opened on 9 January 2020 asking for your views on:

• the emerging vision for Hampshire’s libraries to 2025;

• the level of need for library services in specific local communities;

• proposed changes to library services and the potential impacts; and

• any alternatives that respondents may wish to propose.

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HAVE YOUR SAY

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The way people use library services is changing, and we need to make sure our services evolve to meet these needs.

At the same time, we are facing an anticipated budget shortfall of £80 million by April 2021. We need to look across all the County Council’s services to find savings which can help to bridge this gap as demands for services rise, particularly in social care. We anticipate that changes to library services could contribute £1.76 million towards the County Council’s overall savings target.

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We are committed to providing high-quality library services, fit for the future, that respond to both existing, and a new generation of library customers. We feel the right thing to do is focus the resources we have on where they will be of most benefit.

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As well as increasing income and improving business efficiency, the consultation includes proposals for changes to the way services are delivered. This includes options to close up to 10 council-run libraries, and reduce opening hours in others. There is also an option that does not involve closure of any libraries. It also considers exploring better ways to deliver library services in deprived communities. The proposals in the consultation have been carefully thought through and offer a genuine choice, including options for the community to step in to run independent community-managed libraries.

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DOWNLOAD INFO BOOKLET

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The consultation is open until Wednesday 18 March 2020. Feedback received will inform decisions to be made by the Executive Member for Recreation and Heritage in summer 2020. No decisions will be made on any of these proposals until people have had the opportunity to give their views.

If you know others who would like to take part, they too can have their say, by visiting hants.gov.uk/library-consultation or filling in a printed copy from any Hampshire County Council library. Alternative formats are available on request.

Help shape Hampshire’s library Service for the future

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