Council proposes ending mobile library service

A mobile library could be stopped after 40 years of service as a council looks to save money.

West Berkshire Council has proposed retiring its mobile library from April 2025 .

The council hopes to replace it with what it calls more effective library service options for residents, particularly in rural areas.

A decision will be made at the local authority's executive committee meeting on Thursday.

The council has said the move to axe the mobile service is down to declining use and one of the vehicles needing to be replaced with an electric van – at a cost of £200,000.

The current mobile library vehicle is 18 years old and the local authority said maintenance costs have increased year-on-year, making it more expensive to keep this ageing diesel vehicle on the road.

Instead, residents unable to visit library buildings and therefore meeting the criteria for the library at home service, will be matched up with a DBS checked volunteer.

The hope is that they would spend time getting to know the reading tastes of the person they had been linked up with to enable them to choose and deliver a selection of books to them in their own home every three weeks.

The delivery of this service will not be restricted to a timetable of set locations only and can be delivered anywhere in the West Berkshire district therefore increasing accessibility, the council said.

It said 239 residents solely used the mobile library service in 2023/24 and scrapping the scheme would save £42,000 a year.

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