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Essex Library Successes Threatened by Conservative Cuts
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Written by Jon Whitehouse (01245 430329)
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Wednesday, 27 September 2000
Essex Libraries achieved 97% of their targets last year, under Liberal Democrat control; now this is threatened by Tory cuts.Liberal Democrat county councillor Stephen Robinson has welcomed the news
the Essex Libraries achieved 97% of their targets last year (1999/2000) when
he chaired the county council's Libraries Committee. The news was reported
to members of the county council's Executive Board this morning (Wednesday
27 September).
Highlights included:
- 30,000 children took part in the Summer 99 reading programme
- 66 per cent of Essex babies were reached by the Bookstart project
- The 'Readers without Walls' project used laptop computers to take
the library catalogue to housebound readers, thus enabling them to choose
from a much wider range of books
- Extending Internet access to 30 libraries and launching DVD
collections
- Extending Chelmsford Library
Councillor Robinson commented:
"We set an ambitious plan for our libraries and I would like to pay tribute
to the hard work of the library staff. The successful achievements last year
are a result of their enthusiasm. However I am concerned that as part of the
Conservatives' programme of service cuts the libraries budget was reduced
this year, This will make it more difficult for the library service to be as
successful in the future."
When the Conservatives set the budget this year they cut nearly 300,000
from the library service. This has already led to reductions in opening
hours at the eleven largest libraries in Essex and less money for new books
and other materials.
ENDS |
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