Edinburgh council chiefs drop proposed cut in library hours and reconsider idea of staffless libraries

The proposed cut would have seen Edinburgh's libraries closed on Saturday afternoons to save 300,000

CITY chiefs have dropped proposals to cut library opening hours and promised to reconsider their controversial plans for staffless libraries.

As Edinburgh City Council met today to set the Capital’s budget for 2020/21, the SNP-Labour administration made clear it would use £300,000 of unallocated money to maintain the existing opening hours of city libraries. It had previously proposed they should all close on Saturday afternoons, which would have led to job losses.

The administration also said it would look again at its plan for “Open Libraries” where users can access the building with a card and there are no staff in attendance.

The scheme was due to save £1m in 2022/23 and that saving remains in the budget, but Donald Wilson, convener of the culture and communities committee, hinted the emphasis would now be on including libraries in community hubs rather than staffless libraries.

The cut in library hours was said to have led to tensions with the administration coalition. Ahead of today's meeting, Labour backbencher Scott Arthur tweeted: "I am happy to confirm that the cuts to library opening hours has been blocked by the Labour group."

The council meeting heard a deputation from Unison which argued the Open Libraries scheme should be rejected.

The union’s David Harrold said: “Staffless libraries do not work. The evidence is there for everyone to see from our colleagues down south - it’s not inclusive, public safety is not guaranteed and anti-social behaviour has become the norm in certain areas.”

And he urged councillors to resist the whole concept of staffless libraries.

“A library without dedicated professional staff is quite simply a building with books.

“We have unemployed people who come in for help with their CVs to get back into work. For many elderly people it is their point of contact with the outside world. Libraries are not just places you go for the latest best-seller, they help build up the population’s self-esteem, it takes people to better places.”

Cllr Wilson said he shared the concerns voiced about staffless libraries.

“We are looking again at these proposals. What is important is we have library service fit for for the future."

And he invited the unions to co-operate with the council “to work out how we take this forward as we move towards community hubs”.

Mr Harrold said the unions would be than happy to work with all parties.