The future's in library users' hands

A list of Doomsday questions asking library users about the future of the service in the face of swingeing government cuts will be made public. Users will be asked whether they would prefer Swiss Cottage Library to shut down completely, five smaller libraries to close or a 40 per cent opening hour reduction across the board. The suggestions are part of a consultation package, unveiled exclusively to the New Journal ahead of the launch, aimed at finding where regulars think £2million worth of cuts should be made. Labour councillors insist they have been forced into making cuts by government demands to cut between £80m to £100m of its overall budget. The consultation package states that a further £500,000 could be saved if they reduced the new book budget by 40 per cent, and that a further £100,000 could be found by raising the levels of fines for overdue books. Other suggestions include using volunteers instead of staff, handing over the management of the centers to Friends groups, and freezing spending on computers and furniture. Leisure chief Labour Cllr Tulip Siddiq told the New Journal that her department had no option but to make dramatic cuts - but it was up to the library users how this was done.