Recommendations for future of Somerset’s Libraries Service

Recommendations for the future of Somerset’s Libraries Service were unveiled on 16 October, with a final decision expected to be made on 5 November.  Somerset County Council have made a statement available here. The full report is at SCC Scrutiny Committee agenda (item 6)

As expected, the recommendation is that Nether Stowey Library to be replaced by either a Community Library Partnership or a mobile library service. The Parish Council has concluded that the financial burden of running the library would put upon the parish as a whole, and the risks associated with the terms of the proposal, as offered to the Parish Council, were not acceptable.

However the Friends of Nether Stowey Library feel that they can make a viable proposal to run Community Library Partnership and  the Parish Council will offer support and advice to help, on the same basis and at a similar level as is given to other community groups in the village. You can read more about this from FONSL here. There will be a meeting at the Village Hall on Tuesday 13 November at which FONSL will put forward their proposal. If it is to work it will need the committed support of volunteers.