New Mobile Library Saturday Service in North Tawton.
North Tawton is one of nine communities in Devon scheduled to have Saturday stops from Devon County Council’s mobile library service, from the New Year.
Devon County Council agreed in June to set a new criteria for their mobile library service, focusing resources on communities that do not have permanent libraries nearby.
The new service will see library vans stopping for longer in central locations, linked where possible to existing facilities or events like market days, coffee mornings, luncheon clubs or with school pick-up times.
The longer hours and Saturday stops will mean some workers and school children will be able to use the service for the first time.
And central stops will reduce the amount of time that vehicles currently spend driving, significantly increasing the amount of time that the libraries are parked for people to use them.
The new timetables, now published, increase access to mobile libraries in rural communities by almost 300 hours a year.
Devon County Councillor Stuart Barker, Cabinet Member responsible for Devon’s Library Service, said:
“Mobile library users and Town and Parish Councils have told us that they would like longer stopping times to give people more chance to browse. They would like a wider range of stock on our vehicles, and some would like an opportunity for us to extend the range of services, to perhaps include service information from other agencies.”
“I am very pleased to be able to deliver on these requests and that the new mobile library service will reflect the changes requested especially as the mobile library will be more accessible at times that communities want them.”
“For anyone physically unable to get to any of our libraries or use the mobile library service we can arrange a free Home Delivery Service, which uses WRVS volunteers to deliver books to them at home.”
The mobile library service was last reviewed by the Council in 1997, and since then users of the service have declined considerably, by 40 percent. During the same period, usage of the Council’s permanent libraries has increased.
From January, the new mobile service in in North Tawton will stop on Fridays at the Square for two hours, and on Saturdays at the Square for three hours, both on alternate weeks.
Monthly Mobile Library Timetable information.
Press Release – Permission Granted.
Related Information:
Mobile Library Saturday Stops Launch Event at North Tawton Town Hall.
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