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Library opening hours cut across Hertfordshire today

8:40am Monday 4th July 2011 in News Photograph of the Author By Josh Darlington

OPENING times at Borehamwood Library will be slashed by almost 40 per cent today as part of Hertfordshire-wide reductions.

The Elstree Way library will now be closed on Tuesday and Thursday mornings, completely shut on Fridays, and open until 7pm on weekdays, instead of 8pm previously.

The county council say the cuts are necessary as it faces “extreme financial pressures” following the Government's comprehensive spending review in October 2010.

Councillor Chris Hayward, executive member for libraries, said: "While we are reducing opening hours to save money in the current challenging economic climate, it is important to stress that unlike many other local authorities, we are not closing any libraries.

"We will continue to provide the full range of library services. Activities such as baby rhyme times, homework clubs, computer taster sessions and the popular summer reading challenge will be rearranged around the new opening hours, and 24-hour access to our online reference library will still be available to library members."

Anti-cuts campaigners argue Borehamwood has been hit harder than other areas, and with a history of deprivation and problems of literacy among young people, it should be an exception to the countywide reductions.

Comments(3)

hellraiser says...
8:08pm Mon 4 Jul 11

Well if councillors agreed to reduce their allowances and senior bureaucrats were paid less there might be money to spare to keep the original opening hours. What the portfolio holder omits to mention is that students need to rely on long hours to study in a quiet place -not always possible in some crowded homes- a shameful day

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koozy says...
9:28pm Mon 4 Jul 11

How as this council just managed to find all this money to spend on the threeways when its is perfect the way it is, put that money into keeping the library open more hours. Why is it cuts for what is a life line for some studentsm as statted some homes r to crowded or noisy, yet another life line for the elderly is being taken by there club based at the center. Some one has to stop and think why are the council not useing there brains. and see what they are doing, consers you are tredding a very fine line in being dis-elected next time round, hurt your local people and be hurt back in your own pockets, as trust is hard to come by twice in your next election.

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scovill says...
3:22pm Wed 6 Jul 11

At least the library is still operating even if the hours have been reduced. Many council's are closing them totally. Borehamwood compared to some towns is actually quite small. Financial times are tough so although not ideal at least it is still open for the majority of the time. Shaving an hour off the opening times each day will save them money but times are tough at least it is still. I moved to Borehamwood a year ago from Barnet. I am a teachers in Enfield and I think the council do a very good job considering the financial situations and was actually suprised to hear that the library is open as long as it is. Also in todays society there is less need for a libary then say 20 years ago because of the increase in the use of IT systems in the home so some services are now available from home if people choose to use it.Yes people do still need a libary and it will ofcourse cause problems for some people but I do believe the cuts could have been worse as they have been in some of the councils in London

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