THEY are at the heart of communities across the city – a valuable service used by young and old alike.

But today the full threat to Southampton’s library service can today be laid bare.

Jobs, opening hours and services are all facing deep cuts as council bosses try to save £20m across the city next year. However, those campaigning against the budget cuts to libraries claim massively reducing opening hours is “closure by stealth”.

Under the plans, opening times will be cut by more than 50 per cent in some branches, the new books budget slashed by £50,000 and some mobile library stops axed.

In all about 120 hours opening each week would be hived off in total with 18 jobs shed in a bid to cut £303,000.

Angry library users are now circulating petitions and a letter writing campaign is under way.

They are pleading for council bosses to reconsider the measures amid fears services could become so run-down they risk being singled out for closure during a future round of budget cuts.

The Labour administration claim the alternative would be to cull libraries now.

Leisure boss Cllr Warwick Payne said: “Given the funding gap of more than £20m the council basically has two options on the table.

“The first is to reduce library opening hours across the city and this means that the burden is shared as equally as it can be.

“The alternative is to select several libraries to close completely so that libraries elsewhere maintain their current level of service.

“I was not happy with the scenario where whole communities could be deprived of their library service.”

Burgess Road Library is set to see its service drop to two weekday afternoons, each lasting just three hours.

It will also lose its Monday and Friday 7pm closing time.

Campaigner Dr Susanna Sherwin, who has launched a petition, said: “I am aware that cuts have to be made, but feel that cutting down library opening hours will have a detrimental effect on the local community, and on the development of the children in the localities of the branch libraries.

“By reducing opening hours, people have less opportunity to attend the library and numbers using them will decrease. This will give the council a reason in a year or two for closing down the smaller branches completely.”

Campaign group Friends of Cobbett Road Library are battling cuts to opening times of more than 50 per cent.

The Art Deco style library, saved after a campaign in 2007, is currently open 29.5 hours a week. But the plan is to reduce this to 14.5, for three hours each day.

Kevin Lancashire, Friends of Cobbett Road Library chairman, said: “This is closure by stealth.

“The impact will be devastating because people do not just use the library for books. There are 23 community groups meeting here which will not be able to continue with what is proposed.”

Only Weston, Millbrook and Thornhill have no reductions to their opening hours.

Other changes include consolidating the mobile library and Booksplus into a single mobile bus services and council officers are now examining reducing the number of stops.

Also facing the chop is the business information service, which offers specialised service to the business community.

The changes would come into force after February after the full budget is passed. A consultation process is now under way until Tuesday, February 11.

Tory leisure chief Cllr John Hannides said: “This is a council that is scratching around. It is ill-considered and very shortterm.

They are paying no attention to the longterm damage that they are doing.

“All generations are making great use of our libraries and it should be a source of pride. I hope that the Labour administration reconsiders. In the overall scheme of things they are not saving a huge amount of money.”

Earlier this year Hampshire County Council, which runs services in the county outside Southampton, swung its axe at its library budget, slashing £450,000.

This involved closing Stanmore library in Winchester. It is currently reviewing North Baddesley Library with the view of transferring management to the village parish council.

County mobile library services are also at risk.

How will the planned cuts affect your library?

WOOLSTON
Monday: Now 9.30am to 7pm – proposed to shut all day
Tuesday: Now 9.30am to 7pm – proposed 10am to 6pm
Wednesday: Now 10am to 7pm – proposed 10am to 6pm
Friday: Now 9.30am to 7pm – proposed 10am to 5pm
Saturday: Now 9.30am to 4pm – proposed 10am to 4pm
Total weekly hours opening hours: now 44 hours – after cuts 29

PORTSWOOD
Monday: Now 9.30am to 7pm – proposed 10am to 5pm
Tuesday: Now 9.30am to 5pm – proposed to shut all day
Wednesday: Now 10am to 7pm – proposed 10am to 5pm
Friday: Now 9.30am to 7pm – proposed 10am to 5pm
Saturday: Now 9.30am to 4pm – proposed 10am to 4pm
Total weekly hours opening hours: now 42 hours – after cuts 27

BURGESS ROAD
Monday: Now 9.30am to 7pm – proposed 10am to 1pm
Wednesday: Now 10am to 5pm – proposed 2pm to 5pm
Friday: Now 9.30am to 7pm – proposed 10am to 1pm
Saturday: Now 9.30am to 4pm – proposed 10am to 3.30pm
Total weekly hours opening hours: now 32 hours – after cuts 17

COBBETT ROAD
Monday: Now 9.30am to 7pm – proposed 2pm to 5pm
Wednesday: Now 10am to 5pm – proposed 10 to 1pm
Friday: Now 9.30am to 7pm – proposed 2pm to 5pm
Saturday: Now 9.30am to 1pm – proposed 10am to 12.30pm
Total weekly hours opening hours: now 27 hours – after cuts 14

CENTRAL
Tuesday and Wednesday: Now 9.30am to 7pm – proposed to change to10am to 5pm
Friday: Now 9.30am to 7pm – proposed to close all day
Saturday: Now 9.30am to 4pm – proposed 10am to 4pm
Total weekly hours opening hours: now 54 hours – after cuts 39

SHIRLEY
Monday: Now 9.30am to 7pm – proposed 10am to 6pm
Tuesday: Now 9.30am to 7pm – proposed 9.30am to 5pm
Wednesday: Now 10am to 7pm – proposed shut all day
Friday: Now 9.30am to 7pm – proposed 10am to 5pm
Saturday: Now 9.30am to 4pm – proposed 10am to 4pm
Total weekly hours opening hours: now 51 hours – after cuts 36

BITTERNE
Monday: Now 9.30am to 7pm – proposed 10am to 6pm
Tuesday: Now 9.30m to 5pm – proposed to shut all day
Wednesday: Now 10am to 7pm – proposed 10am to 6pm
Thursday: Now 9.30am to 5pm – proposed 10am to 3.30pm
Friday: Now 9.30am to 7pm – proposed 10am to 5pm
Saturday: Now 9.30am to 4pm – proposed 10am to 4pm
Total weekly hours opening hours: now 49 hours – after cuts 34

LORDSHILL
Tuesday: Now 9.30am to 7pm – proposed 10am to 6pm
Wednesday: Now 10am to 7pm – proposed 10am to 6pm
Thursday: Now 9.30am to 7pm – proposed 10am to 5pm
Friday: Now 9.30am to 7pm – proposed to shut all day
Saturday: Now 9.30am to 4pm – proposed 10am to 4pm
Total weekly hours opening hours: now 44 hours – after cuts 29