Cardiff citizens rally as local libraries face having funding withdrawn and even closure in the face of a massive budget shortfall.
On the fifth floor of Central Library, where the Local Studies section used to be, there is a “CLOSED” notice and a ceiling of construction nets. The floor has been shut, the books have been moved and nobody is quite sure where they will end up. The space is being put to new use, to make space for a more profitable business venture.
The future of the Local Studies section is but a tiny story that comes off the back of a severe budget crisis and a series of cuts to public services. With a shortfall of £124m over the next three years, Cardiff’s cabinet has to make savings of £45.5m in 2015/16 alone, and public services are in the firing line.
Central Library is fighting back, developing into a community hub and adding a wide range of public and third sector services to its existing facilities. There have been proposals to move the Local Studies to a branch library, with the Canton and Cathays libraries currently being considered.
“Moving local studies from a central location in what is a very modern facility is a backward step and a deterrent for researchers,” says Jeff Childs, vice chairman of the Roath Local History Society. “It is also out of kilter with what is happening nationally such as in Manchester, Liverpool and Birmingham, all of whom have had their local study facilities transformed in recent years.”
A new breed of library
The city council’s budget proposal for 2015/16 details how adding commercial aspects to library facilities can generate new income streams to substitute the funding that is no longer available. This could mean selling stationery and other items, introducing cafes or coffee machines, or encouraging sponsorship and advertising opportunities. It also favours a switch from standalone library provision to focusing on the Community Hub model and more outreach based services through Neighbourhood Development Librarians.
Local libraries are in a tight spot. Unless a viable solution is found to maintain their facilities, the loss of state funding could be a deadly blow. Alternative solutions are still up in the air. Ross Saunders, secretary of
Cardiff Against The Cuts, told the Socialist Party Wales, “The idea that we could find, without financial help from the Council, the millions of pounds needed to run all these services every year is ludicrous… In reality, if council funding is severed, the vast majority will close.”
Councillor Christopher Weaver stressed that if some libraries can be successfully transferred to another operator, for example a community council, it may mean others would not have their funding cut at all in 2015-16. “The intention is to make savings in branch libraries over two years, with about 50% of the total funding proposed to be saved this year,” he says. But for now, libraries remain in the dark as to what will happen. “This is why the proposal has gone out early for consultation, to see what is possible and seek alternatives,” he says.
The public vote
On 21 November the council launched a public budget consultation period, encouraging participation in the decision making on the future of the libraries. The incentive followed a controversial leak of council documents concerning the proposed cuts early November, sparking public dismay and political discord. The consultation period will runs until 12 January, with a final budget decision being made by Full Council when it meets on 26 February 2015.
“There is no escaping that money is being cut from Cardiff Council and every service area has to look to how and what we can fund in the years ahead,” says councillor Weaver. “These are difficult decisions to put forward, even as proposals, and it is a reflection of the extreme level of funding cuts coming from the UK government that the Council has to consider this.”
Meanwhile, campaigns to save local libraries have sprung up all around Cardiff, as residents resist the loss of the spaces that play a central part in their communities. Although it hasn’t been confirmed which libraries will bear the brunt of the cuts, Roath, Cathays, Whitchurch, Rumney, Adamsdown and Rhiwbina are a handful of libraries listed as potentially having their funding withdrawn and their facilities offered up for community ownership or commercial interest.
A petition to save Rumney library gathered 2,100 signatures, and groups across the city are pledging support to their local libraries through fundraising events and social media campaigns. Becky Cee, campaign organiser for Rumney library, says, “Rumney Library is about more than just books. It is a focal point within our community for a diverse range of people and for different purposes.”
The future of the local studies section in Central Library may be but a small part of the problem. But the local element, be it books, libraries or communal spaces is under threat everywhere. Communities are fighting for the spaces they have held dear for decades, often lifetimes. It will take until 26 February to see if their voices sound loud enough.