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East Sussex council proposes closure of a quarter of its libraries

In the UK, a quarter of all libraries in East Sussex could close under a new proposal from the council, reports the BBC.

Seven libraries as well as the mobile library service would close under the plan, saving East Sussex County Council £653k (A$1.07m).

Under the plans, the council said it would enhance its elibrary service, conduct outreach work, and work with children’s centres and other community venues, as part of a shift to improve literacy and digital skills.

Council spokesman Nick Skelton said significant cuts from central government left them with ‘no choice’. Former children’s laureate Chris Riddell has urged the council to ‘think again’. ‘Rather than fewer libraries we need better resourced libraries, we need to cherish the libraries we have,’ said Riddell. ‘If we lost them, the great tragedy is, we can never get them back.’

 

Category: Library news International