Sarah Davis, Coventry Socialist Party and Save Coventry Libraries
Coventry Labour council is consulting on its proposal to move four libraries – Canley, Coundon, and Bell Green – from their purpose-built buildings, into smaller buildings. Holbrooks Library will be moved into a dementia centre.
Libraries are the heart of the community. They are safe places, and so much more than books – computers, rhyme time, homework and book clubs. But, of course, it’s the only place you can borrow books for free.
We are very concerned about the positions of the professional staff, and about the loss of book stock, computers, book groups, and other services that use the libraries.
There are safeguarding, health and safety, and confidentiality concerns. You simply can’t have children in a building that is used by people who have dementia.
Bell Green is one of the Coventry’s five ‘core libraries’ that Coventry City Council said had a lifetime guarantee to always be fully funded, staffed by professionals, and stay in its purpose-built building .
Coventry Council, like every council, has a legal responsibility to provide a comprehensive and effective library service for all. Moving these libraries and reducing their services is a breach of that.
Coventry Council has said there were “753,975 visits to the 17 Coventry libraries, including 500,000 computer uses”, which is evidence that they are being well used. So we are very concerned to see a reduction in size, rather than an expansion.
The council should make no cuts, and demand that the Labour government coughs up the money to pay for it.
