A lifeline has been thrown to Deganwy Library

Sep 2 2010 by Mari Jones, North Wales Weekly News

SUPPORTERS of Deganwy Library have a month to prove its hours should not be reduced.

The Weekly News recently reported how only 1,750 people used Deganwy Library last year, more than a 60% drop from 2007.

Even more disappointingly, only 200 children used the library during this period.

So in order to cut costs Conwy County Council was set to reduce the opening hours of the library to only two half days a week.

At present Deganwy Library is open three full days a week.

However, an unexpected lifeline has been thrown to the community facility last week.

A decision was made at a Conwy cabinet meeting at Bodlondeb, to not reduce the hours for another month whilst Llandudno Library goes through a refurbishment.

During this time the visitor numbers will be monitored and if there is a significant increase in usage then the hours will not be reduced.

Deganwy councillor Jason Weyman who had requested the concession, said: “Alternatively if there is no increase then the reduced hours will be implemented.

“This operational decision will be made in consultation with myself and Cllr Dennis Tew.”

He added: “I have received contact from some people concerned with the decision to reduce the hours.

“Although it is extremely disappointing to see a service reduced in Deganwy, unfortunately the figures speak for themselves.

“There is now a limited time left to support Deganwy Library before a decision on the whole library provision is brought out for Public Consultation.”

Cllr Weyman added Conwy councillors will soon have to make decisions on ‘similar and bigger issues’, because of diminishing resources.

The news that the hours at Deganwy Library could be cut has angered Conwy town councillor Samantha Cotton, who in 2007 became involved in a campaign to save seven libraries in Conwy, threatened with closure. Deganwy was one of those libraries.

She is worried that reducing its opening hours to just six a week could ultimately seal its fate.