Birmingham City Council has announced another short round of consultation, this time on 'revised option 4'. This remains grim reading for library lovers as it still represents a 40% cut to the service - and a huge 40% cut to opening hours across the city.
It is only open for comments until 3 November 2024. A report recommending the revised option 4 and recording public feedback is due to go to Cabinet in January 2025.
We have written another guide that explains what we think is wrong with the proposals and suggesting ways to respond.
It is because of YOU that the Council has had to adapt their proposals. Now is the time to keep pushing back.
Demand better, demand our public libraries are protected, professionally staffed, and properly funded by Birmingham City Council. This city NEEDS (and loves) its libraries.
What’s going on? Didn’t we just do this?
The consultation team has released a revised option 4 that they say will be their recommendation to Birmingham City Council’s Cabinet in January. The Council has redistributed one day from each of the ‘hub’ libraries (which would now be open 4 days a week) to ten (not all) of the ‘part-time’ libraries (which would be open 3 days a week) and designated another library as a ‘hub’ for Ladywood Constituency (Small Heath). We think this redistribution is the result of hard campaigning by people all over the city and the way library lovers stood together to complain about the stark disparity the original proposal would have created. However, like all of you library lovers we remain profoundly concerned about the impact of a 40% cut on our library service. We have written why in our latest guide.
We advise:Â
Registering your frustration about the proposed 40% cut with the consultation team on LibrariesPublicConsultation@birmingham.gov.ukÂ
Completing their 3-question survey (https://www.birminghambeheard.org.uk/bcc/revised-option-4-proposal/), ticking ‘all libraries’ and saying you strongly disagree with the proposal and explaining why in the text box (see our guide for ideas).
Complete their survey again, this time for the library you use the most (you can do this multiple times, one for each library). Do not feel pressured to agree with their proposal – everyone is entitled to demand a library that is open full-time and staffed by trained (and paid!) library professionals.
Email your councillor(s) and MP (info on how to do this is in the guide) to protest the 40% cut and ask them to stand up for the people of this city who deserve better!
And then of course...please enjoy the library love of the Brum Library Zine, now in virtual form!
Comments