Proposed changes to opening hours for libraries in Havant Borough

Waterlooville Library

Waterlooville is designated as a key library.
There are no proposed changes.

Feedback

There was a variety of comments including pleasure that there will be no changes to opening hours. 5 responses suggested that opening hours could be reduced at Waterlooville and there also views put forward on the use of volunteers.

Comments

Waterlooville Library is designated as a key library and no changes to opening hours are proposed.

Havant Library

Havant is designated as a medium library.

Feedback

Of those who disagreed 48% wanted to retain at least one late night and 39% wanted to keep Sunday opening. There were a range of suggestions put forward on how to do this; 27% of the disagrees suggesting that the library should be closed on Wednesday rather than Sunday, or be closed on Wednesday to allow for later opening. 39% of people who disagreed suggested that opening hours should be adjusted across the week to allow for either late night or Sunday opening.

Comments

Opening later than 6pm is not possible due to the shopping centre opening hours. The two late nights until 6pm will be retained by adjusting to a more consistent 9.30am opening every morning..

Hayling Island Library

Hayling Island is designated as a medium library.

Feedback

9 (33%) of the responses disagreeing with the proposals wanted to keep the Friday late night by opening later in the morning whilst 5 people wanted to keep the Friday late night rather than the Monday late night.

Comments

As there was a low response rate and 59% of the responses received agreed with the change, the original proposed alteration will go forward for approval.  Issue statistics indicate that both Monday and Friday late nights have a similar level of use.

Leigh Park Library

Leigh Park is designated as a medium library.

Feedback

Responses during consultation in October: 76% of people who disagreed wanted to keep at least one late night and of these 53% suggested doing this by closing earlier on Saturday.

Revised proposed changes were consulted on in November and December. This resulted in 84% agreement and few comments. Of the 135 responses received, only 13 people wanted to keep the Saturday afternoon opening.

Comments

As 84% of responses agreed with the revised proposed changes, these will go forward for approval.

Emsworth Library

Emsworth is designated a small library.

Feedback

90% of responses who disagreed wanted to keep the late night; 36% suggested keeping a late night until 6pm, 49% wanted to retain the existing late night or said retain at least one night open to 7pm. 33% of those who disagreed suggested retaining the late night by opening later on one or more mornings. Staff feedback was also that working people would be disadvantaged by the loss of the late night.

Comments

Based on customer and staff feedback the late night will be retained by opening at 10 each morning except for Saturday.

Update February 2012

Staff have suggested a possible alternative way of making the required savings at Emsworth whilst keeping the existing hours. We are trialling this for 6 months to be certain that it will work.