Turning page to a new chapter for city libraries

A NEW drive to promote Edinburgh's libraries has been ordered after figures revealed a huge drop in the number of people going through the doors.

The new study has shown 176,961 fewer people entered Edinburgh's 26 libraries in the last year than four years ago.

Council officials have now ordered a series of action plans to be drawn up.

It comes at the same time as a wider review being carried out into how options such as reducing opening hours could help make 602,000 of savings within the service and avoid the need for any library closures.

John Ross, service conditions convener at the trade union Unison, said: "The library service has become quite diverse in terms of usage, such as people using DVDs and music, and that has impacted on the number of books taken out.

"We are aware of the problem, and I have a meeting next week to discuss how we deal with it.

"There are various options, such as investing in book stocks, investing in property and a whole myriad of things."

He has vowed to oppose any proposals to adjust opening hours, amid concerns that such a move would simply impact on visitor numbers further.

In the year to April 2011, 2.6 million people entered the city's libraries, which is 6.3 per cent lower than in 2006/07.

Councillor Gordon Munro, Labour culture and leisure spokesman on the city council, said: "As somebody that enjoys using libraries, I find any decrease of great concern.

"I suspect there is no single reason for this, but I would urge people to use libraries because it is clear that they are seen as a luxury by some people so could be vulnerable to cuts."

Separate figures suggest that the number of people using online services provided by the library service has increased, although council chiefs admit that physical visits to libraries remain a "high priority".

In a report for councillors, Mark Turley, director of the council's services for communities department, said: "Further improvements in performance requires focus on both the core elements of the service - increasing physical visits to libraries and borrowing levels - as well as ongoing development of online services."

An action plan has been put in place that includes staff at every library looking at how to promote and market their offering.

Liz McGettigan, the council's library and information services manager, said: "Libraries are about so much more than borrowing books.

"Visits to branches, and the facilities there, will still be important. But I'd encourage anyone who hasn't used a library recently to find out what they offer, especially online."