Essex County Council have recently stated that they will keep all the county’s libraries open. This is a massive climbdown from their original plan which threatened up to 60% of branches with closure!
However, the Save Our Libraries Essex campaign are warning there is still a need to ensure that all libraries are properly funded and run by paid staff – there is a danger the council will hand services over to ‘community’ groups who will struggle to provide a service – this will in effect become ‘closure by stealth’.
UNISON Eastern regional organiser Natalie Platts said: “It’s the overwhelming strength of feeling against the council’s ransacking of our culture and our communities that’s forced this climb-down.
“But even if some community group can be found to take over, volunteer-run libraries just aren’t good enough. Anyone who thinks volunteers can reliably deliver all the services our highly-skilled library staff provide has spent too long in the fiction section.”
Save Our Libraries Essex therefore plans to go ahead with a lobby of the Essex Cabinet meeting on 23rd July.
Join campaigners from across the county to let council leaders know we welcome their change of heart but we are determined to fight for professional, fully-funded libraries!
Meet 9am Tuesday 23rd July,outside the Saracen’s Head in Chelmsford for a short march to County Hall.
Follow full details of the event on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/events/629411670801556/