OPENING hours at the borough’s libraries are set to be slashed as the council seeks to balance its books without closures.

All seven libraries will have their availability changed as part of a package that will see Reading Borough Council withdraw £290,000 from the service over the next two years.

Two sites, in Southcote and Whitley, will also be moved from their existing premises into nearby community centres.

It comes parallel to the announcement that a further £20m and 200 jobs face being cut from the authority’s spending amid reductions to its finances from central government.

Cllr Jo Lovelock, leader of the council, insisted the proposals had to be seen as “good news” in the context of their cash-strapped position.

Last year residents were consulted on how they use their local libraries and offered the current changes as a way to cut costs without permanently shutting any buildings.

As part of the measures Palmer Park Library will be run in partnership with Reading College during term time and the popular Toy Library, currently based in Southcote, will be relocated to Central Library in the town centre.

More self-service terminals and increased use of volunteers will also come into effect in the coming years.

Cllr Lovelock said: “It is still a reduction in service in terms of opening hours but if the better days ever come you can always then adjust those.

“There will be people concerned about these reductions but nevertheless, I think it is a good news story for people that we are able to keep these libraries going for the moment.”

The plans, which will go before the council’s policy committee next week, go less than half way towards last year’s commitment to shed £600,000 off what is spent on libraries.

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