Muir dismayed Holywood Library to suffer savage cuts

I urge Libraries NI to rethink their plans to cut Holywood Library Opening Hours from 53.5 hours to 40 hours per week and the Opening Hours at Bangor's Carnegie Library cut from from 65 to 57 hours per week. 

Libraries NI recently announced that following receipt of additional funding ‘opening hours do not need to be reduced to the same levels as originally proposed’ and issued their final decisions concerning future opening hours for all Libraries across Northern Ireland.

I am astounded to learn that despite receiving an extra £2.39million the Libraries Authority still plan to savagely cut Holywood opening hours whilst other libraries will have their hours increased! Cutting Holywood Library opening hours from 53.5 to 40 is a significant reduction with only one other library in Northern Ireland targeted for such a massive cutback. Cutting Bangor's Opening Hours from 65 to 57 is also of concern.

Holywood Library is a vital community resource and recently received a refurbishment costing £169,970 during 2010/11 intended by Libraries NI to ‘broaden its appeal to the local community’. Imposing such drastic cuts after investing significant sums to encourage greater uptake seems illogical and could result in the final chapter for Holywood Library.”

I have written to Libraries NI urging them to re-think their plans and I sincerely hope this situation isn’t a closed book and that NI Libraries are prepared to turn over a new page and consider a more equitable situation for Holywood Library.