THE public are being given a chance to put their twopenneth in on the the fate of more than half of Liverpool libraries which have been earmarked for closure.

Liverpool City Council has set four meeting dates where people are being invited to hear why the libraries are being shut and, it says, discuss each of them in more detail.

A report into the proposed library service identified 11 libraries which could be at risk of closure. They are Breck Road, Dovecot, Fazakerley, Kensington, Lee Valley, Old Swan, Sefton Park, Spellow, Walton, Wavertree and West Derby libraries. The move would leave the north end of the city without any libraries at all.

A first meeting last Thursday, in Lee Valley Millennium Centre, was attended by around 40 residents. These follow-up sessions are:

  • Monday 6 October, 6pm to 8pm, The Conference Centre at LACE, Croxteth Drive, Sefton Park, L17 1AA – this will be to discuss Sefton Park and Wavertree libraries.

  • Wednesday 8 October, 6pm to 8pm, Alsop High School, Queen’s Drive, Walton, L4 6SH – this will be to discuss Spellow, Walton and Fazakerley libraries.

  • Monday 13 October, 6pm to 8pm  Broadgreen International School, Queen’s Drive, (access via Heliers Road off Broadgreen Road), L13 5UQ – this will be to discuss Old Swan, Dovecot andWest Derby libraries.

  • Wednesday 15 October, 6pm to 8pm  Kensington Neighbourhood Health Centre, 157 Edge Lane, Kensington, L7 2PF – this will be to discuss Kensington and Breck Road libraries.

“These meetings are an opportunity for the libraries team to talk about why certain libraries are at risk and also for people to ask questions and have their say on the proposals for the service as a whole,” says the council.

The 11 are at risk, it says, because of a number of factors including below average use, high running costs, their proximity to another library and the potential of the service being provided by another organisation or group.

The library service needs to reduce its budget overall by £2.5 million as part of the city council’s £156 million of savings needed over the next three years due to cuts in Central Government funding.

A number of discussions are already under way with interested parties about taking over the running of some of the venues or providing library services from alternative locations.

Under the proposals, 95 percent of people will still live within two miles of a library and the Home Library Service and the RNIB Talking Book Service will not be affected.

The city council would continue to run Central Library - which is used by 45 percent of service users - and seven community libraries: Croxteth, Norris Green, Toxteth, Childwall, Allerton, Garston and Parklands. 

Liverpool has 19 public libraries in total.