I have been following the coverage of the library consultation in the Mid-Devon Advertiser series with interest and I am grateful for this opportunity to set out what the county council is trying to achieve. The former county council administration received two reports in four years saying the library service needed improving and when the Liberal Democrat administration took over in May 2005 we carried out the big 'Our Devon' consultation campaign, which also showed a strong public desire to see Devon's libraries improve. We have no choice but to change: the problem is that the county council receives no specific government funding for libraries, so any improvements have to be paid for from our existing resources. This is the position my colleague Sheila Hobden inherited when she took over political responsibility for libraries, but during the first year of this new county council we have found money to invest in library projects at South Molton, Ivybridge and Ottery St Mary. To do more we must find more money; that means making every penny we currently spend on libraries go further and give better value. That's why we are consulting on improving the library service as a whole across Devon and looking at 12 libraries in the county which are clustered near larger libraries; these 12 are libraries where usage and book issues count for less than five per cent of the total for all the libraries in Devon. Opening hours for the 12 are on average only 13 hours per week. Cllr Hobden and county librarian Lynn Osborne are attending all the consultation events and listening to what our customers are saying. There are some innovative points being made which would suggest that existing bricks and mortar are not necessarily the only way local library services could be provided. Obviously, as we still going through the public consultation period, I cannot comment on individual libraries. What's important is that everyone who cares about the future of our libraries has the opportunity to have their say. The county council will not be responding until the autumn and we would therefore welcome alternative ideas, providing they are sustainable and enjoy community support. The public's way of using libraries has changed greatly, especially with the growth in the use of the internet. Library services are now very much a seven day a week requirement with longer opening hours. So, if there are to be any library closures, then the money saved will be reinvested in the service, and staff redeployed to other libraries. Devon County Council gets £50 per person less in government grant than the average received by all county councils – that's a whopping £36 million less coming to Devon. We have to examine every penny we spend to try to deliver the services you tell us you want and which we have reflected in the county council's Strategic Plan for the next five years. Balancing all these priorities is not easy but we are committed to delivering the best possible services.
