Update: All but two Kirklees libraries at risk of closure

The council sketched out its ideas during a policy committee meeting this afternoon (Wednesday).

The most drastic option would involve closing all libraries in Kirklees except for Huddersfield and Dewsbury in a 56 per cent slash to services.

A second option would include ‘town hub libraries’ remaining open but with reduced services if more investment was granted.

The first option would mean the loss of 100 full time members of staff from the service and the second would result in 60 job losses.

The second option could include hubs in Batley, Birstall, Cleckheaton, Dewsbury, Heckmondwike and Mirfield.

But the council could not yet confirm which towns would receive hubs or if towns would have to compete for library services.

Members were also told it was possible that library services in Cleckheaton would be moved into Spenborough Town Hall.

Kirklees Council leader David Sheard said the council needed to consider different kinds of services which people look for from libaries.

“People ask for IT and coffee bars,” he said.

“When McDonald’s closed in Dewsbury it took away lots of people’s access to wifi.

“It can be difficult to get broadband in rural areas. We need to think about what we want to deliver.”

The library service restructure will be ongoing until April 2017.