An important resource or on brink of redundancy?

Libraries are facing an uncertain future everywhere under budget pressures and are often used as a political football by opportunistic leaders.

So plans to charge extra rates often spark a lively debate.

It comes as proposals to introduce an annual charge to use Blackpool’s libraries were shelved for the time-being.

Town hall chiefs had been considering a premium library membership of £20 per year “as a potential income generation opportunity”, according to a council report.

But this has now been dropped pending a wider review of the service.

The report says: “The timing is not right in 2018 as a new head of libraries is being tasked with reviewing the service offer as a whole which may lead to revised fees and charges recommended in 2019-20.

“The premium membership proposal may be resurrected as part of these proposals.”

Here are your comments

Let’s face facts, libraries are on the brink of redundancy. Information that used to take at least the good part of an hour(If you even found it) now takes 20 seconds.

The internet also has a wider selection of books and is more accessible.

If you disagree with this, actually GO to a library and compare how many people are reading books to how many people are there using the library computers to get online.

Matt Csesznyak

While I don’t really use it anymore I was a frequent visitor years ago.

The music library in particular was a goldmine to me and really opened up my appreciation of music.

For that reason alone I think it is an important local institution and almost certainly would take up a subscription.

Paul Summers

Well isn’t this a public service that we are already paying for via council tax?

So yet another service we get to pay twice for like the green bins.

Fiona Taylor

What we need is a council and their officers coming up with sensible schemes that benefit Blackpool and its residents not wasting money on schemes that are superficial at best.

Graham Jones

Could quite easily hand over libraries to communities and community organisations and get volunteers to run them.

Kathryn Andrews

I thought libraries’ main goal was to provide services for people less fortunate who do not have access to these services at home?

Josh Vernon

A library is not just about books.

Kane Dodgson

How is it they can’t afford libraries but they can afford a pointless tramway extension and a top heavy management structure?

Nigel Jurgens

The tramway extension is being funded externally Nigel.

Andy Mitchell

Another way to fleece you out of money...to tax you for getting smart.

Stephen Wingus

I have enough books at home and haven’t used a library in over 30 years.

Johanna Schwab

End of the day it’s an equivalent of three packs of cigarettes.

Margaret Kelly

Libraries could save money by accepting newish books donated by the public and have donation boxes in the libraries.

I would gladly put my loose change in when attending.

Brenda Gregory

There is an annual charge. It’s called council tax.

Richard Fairbrother