Molesey Library Possible Reprieve!

In an unexpected development on 5^th September Molesey Library Community Partnership Steering Group was informed by Rose Wilson, head of Surrey Libraries that a possible reprieve has been given to Molesey Library.

This is as a result of a three month consultation on and update to the Public Value Review of Surrey Libraries that originally identified 11 libraries including Molesey as candidates for closure or Community Partnership (CP) operation.

Now Molesey has been re-allocated to the core county managed network of libraries. The decision seems to have been driven by the fact that Molesey Library is significantly larger on almost all criteria than the other libraries in the affected group.

The number of active borrowers, for example is around 1000 higher than the next biggest library and twice as large as many of the others. However, the revised proposal has to be put before Surrey CC’s Cabinet on 27^th September for approval so cannot yet be taken for granted.

The Steering Group of Molesey Library Community Partnership is delighted by this development but is not yet making any assumptions about what may happen on 27^th September. Until then it will continue to develop the plan for possible community operation. In particular it is very keen to maintain the commitment of those who have already volunteered to help run a community-based service, in case this should actually be needed.

To date over 100 volunteers have made a formal commitment to help, clearly demonstrating the importance of a library to Molesey. The Steering Group will continue to provide information and updates via this website and to volunteers and will provide formal responses to Surrey’s original plan until the future of Molesey Library is assured. In the mean time it thanks all those who have made such a generous response to the call for help.

The new proposals to be put before Surrey CC Cabinet on the 27^th September are as follows:

• It is recommended that Molesey is run as part of the SCC managed network,

• Library provision in Bagshot, Bramley, Byfleet, Ewell Court, Lingfield, New Haw, Stoneleigh, Tattenhams, Virginia Water, Warlingham is proposed to be delivered via Community Partnerships.

• Library provision in Ash, Caterham Hill, Frimley Green, Hersham, Horsley, Knaphill, Lightwater, Shepperton & West Byfleet (not currently potential Community Partnerships or in the managed network) will be fully supported by SCC and no decision is taken by the Cabinet to run these as Community Partnerships until the pilot CP Libraries have been in existence for a full year, commencing 1st April 2012.

The revised plan specifically mentions the “strong community support that has been generated” for maintaining a library service in Molesey and suggests that this may be harnessed to “extend and add value to services”.