A senior councillor has given her personal guarantee that Bath Central Library and council services will not merge while she has any influence.
Cllr Dine Romero, Cabinet member for children and young people, communities and culture
The reassurance comes after plans emerged to relocate “some information services” into the Podium in a £126,000 funding cut that campaigners warned would “decimate our wonderful library provision”.
The previous Conservative administration dropped its multi-million-pound plans to merge the library and one stop shop after widespread protests.
There is also concern at the planned review of “service delivery options” for the libraries in Keynsham and Midsomer Norton, and a review of how the mobile library operates.
Local author and Friends of Bath Library campaigner Mary English was dismayed to learn of the proposals and said any changes to library services must be discussed with library users first.
Bath Central Library is located inside the Podium | Photo © Roger Utting / Shutterstock.com
She told the budget setting meeting on 16th February that any council service transferred to the library would be one too many, adding: “Once these council services are slipped into the library, it won’t be long before we cease to have libraries and librarians and instead have ‘customer services pods’ and ‘customer services staff’, which are not the same at all.
“And even though we’ve been assured this is ‘all’ that would be added into the library, what’s to stop a future council under a different political party from adding even more services and watering down the wonderful provision we already have?
“I am here to add my voice to the groundswell of residents that do not agree that this would be a good idea.”
Campaigner Andy Halliday, who used to manage Bath Central Library, said it needs investment, not reduced funding, and warned that the proposals would “decimate our wonderful library provision” and “have catastrophic long-term consequences on the lives of many, many people”.
Responding to their concerns, Councillor Dine Romero, the cabinet member for children and young people, communities and culture, said: “There are no cuts to Bath Central Library. It is not being merged with One Stop Shop services and no services have been moved to it.
“This is not a rerun of the Conservcative proposal of 2018 which I fought against alongside those who came to speak to council tonight.
“I know what Bath library means to residents and have no desire to see what it does diminished in any way.
“What I want is to see this offer enhanced and to encourage even more people to use Bath Central Library for its core purposes – for learning, reading and research.
“Savings are being asked for across a wide range of council services. It should be expected that we take a moment to consider if, and if so how, libraries in Bath, Midsomer Norton and Keynsham better serve residents.
“We have to recognise how services are being accessed and what residents want from these public services. Over the last two years during the height of the pandemic we have seen a large number of residents choose to access services digitally instead of face to face. Fewer people are physically accessing One Stop Shop services.
“At the same time a new police station is nearing completion in Lewis House.
“Bath Central Library could be a sensible location to house a few ancillary services, however it is not the only suitable location and potential alternatives are to be looked at.
“I take on board the point that there is no guarantee that a few services if put into the library will not expand to a full one stop shop under another political party.
“All I can give is my personal assurance that this will not happen if I have any influence and that any changes will be fully discussed and must be agreed to be the best way forward.”
Councillor Shaun Hughes raised concern for the libraries in Midsomer Norton and Keynsham and said he had questioned plans for an exit survey over the coming weeks when usage is reduced amid the lockdown.
Stephen Sumner, Local Democracy Reporter
