Agenda item

Library Service

It was moved by Councillor Jackie Satur, seconded by Councillor Karen McGowan, that this Council:-

(a)       welcomes the news that all Sheffield libraries are now on track to remain open;

(b)       notes that libraries in other towns and cities across the country have closed due to government cuts and commends the fantastic efforts of community groups across the city who have come together to put forward business plans to run the associate libraries to keep libraries open in Sheffield;

(c)       welcomes that the Council will support associate libraries by funding building running costs, providing access to the Council’s library catalogue and computer service, helping train volunteers and providing ongoing advice and support;

(d)       continues to oppose the unprecedented level of cuts imposed on the Council by central government that have led to cuts in the funding of the library service, noting that by next year the Council will have lost 50% of its core government funding which is impacting on services across the Council; and

(e)       resolves to continue to work with all hub, co-delivered and associate libraries and to write to all community organisations who submitted business plans, and external partners who supported the groups, thanking them for their efforts in keeping open all libraries in the city, and to all staff for their continued dedication and commitment to the service in extremely difficult times.

Whereupon, it was moved by Councillor Penny Baker, seconded by Councillor Colin Ross, as an amendment, that the Motion now submitted be amended by the deletion of all the words after the words “That this Council” and the addition of the following words therefor:-

(a)       thanks community groups for their incredible effort in stepping forward to save community libraries which Labour Councillors were threatening to close;

(b)       recalls the comments of officers in a leaked report that the original plans put forward by the Administration were not sustainable;

(c)       notes that key concessions were only made after a massive city-wide campaign and a 16,000 signature petition, supported by the Rt. Hon. Nick Clegg, MP, and local Liberal Democrats;

(d)       believes that many community groups feel their achievements were made in spite of the Council rather than because of them;

(e)       notes reports in the local media that many groups are still involved in negotiations over property leases which threaten to make their business plans unsustainable again; and

(f)        calls upon the Administration to immediately work with community groups to ensure that appropriate leases are agreed so that beloved local libraries can stay open.

On being put to the vote, the amendment was negatived.

It was then moved by Councillor Brian Webster, seconded by Councillor Jillian Creasy, as an amendment, that the Motion now submitted be amended by the addition of new paragraphs (f) and (g) as follows:-

(f)        recognises that each library branch and community group is different, and that a ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach to working with co-delivered and associate libraries will be less effective than an approach that is tailored to each individual context; and

(g)       therefore calls upon the Administration to give full consideration to alternative ideas put forward by community groups for the running, financing and future development of co-delivered and associate library branches in the city.

On being put to the vote, the amendment was carried. 

The original Motion, as amended, was then put as a Substantive Motion in the following form and carried:-

(Note: Councillors Simon Clement-Jones, Richard Shaw, Rob Frost, Joe Otten, Colin Ross, Martin Smith, Penny Baker, Roger Davison, Diana Stimely, Sue Alston, Andrew Sangar, Cliff Woodcraft, Ian Auckland, Steve Ayris, David Baker, Katie Condliffe and Vickie Priestley voted for paragraphs (a), (c), (e), (f) and (g) and against paragraphs (b) and (d) of the Substantive Motion and asked for this to be recorded.)