“Use it or lose it” campaign by library users

WORRIED residents have started a campaign to get more people to use Culcheth Library.
They fear that recent reductions in opening hours at the library could be the “thin end of the wedge” leading to the library eventually being closed altogether.
Theme of their campaign is “Use it or lose it.”
One resident, who asked not to be named, said: “Culcheth Library is the only library in Warrington which is closed on two full week days and one of the few which are closed on a Friday.
“The problem with reducing opening hours – and particularly closing for a full day – is that it has the effect of reducing use of the library altogether.
“There are plenty of people in Culcheth who value the library and would hate to see it close. I would appeal to local people to use the library because if they do not we could eventually end up not having one at all – and that would put a lot of people to a great deal of inconvenience.”
Culcheth Library’s opening hours are: Monday: 2pm-5pm; Tuesday: 10am-1pm and 2pm-6pm; Wednesday: closed; Thursday: 10am-1pm and 2pm-5pm; Friday: closed; Saturday: 9.30am-1pm; Sun day: closed.
Emma Hutchinson, managing director of LiveWire who run all Warrington’s libraries, said: “LiveWire is currently trialling slightly reduced opening at all of our libraries across Warrington which we will review in April.
“The new temporary opening hours have been implemented following a detailed review of the service which showed that an increasing number of customers are accessing the service online through our e-book provision rather than through visiting our library sites.
“We will shortly be reviewing the trial period and if deemed successful, the new opening hours will be implemented permanently. We will endeavour to reinvest any savings made either during the trial period or if the new hours are made permanent, back into the library service to further improve our digital offer, again in response to what our customers told us through the review.”