A councillor said that staff vacancies in Bristol libraries have decreased from 40 to just three in the space of six months. At a Members Forum on Tuesday, October 8, the status of the branched library network was discussed by Bristol City Council as the importance of keeping libraries open this winter was elevated.
In April of this year there were 40 vacant positions across the library network, Cllr Stephen Williams (Westbury-on-Trym and Henleaze, Liberal Democrat), Chair of the Public Health and Communities Committee, confirmed. By October, mass recruitment drives had meant that staff vacancies were reduced by more than 90 per cent.
Cllr Tim Kent (Hengrove and Whitchurch Park, Liberal Democrat), during the Members Forum, asked whether Cllr Williams supported a X post (formerly Twitter) by a Labour councillor suggesting that there would be future library closures. Cllr Williams expressed the importance of libraries, especially to pensioners who may not be able to afford to heat their homes, as a warm and welcoming space.
Cllr Williams said: “Let’s put it into context from where we were to what we’ve come to, back in April, there were 40 vacancies across the library network, a quarter of all the staff posts were vacant. By the end of June it was 31 and now we’ve made rapid progress and it’s now just 3, which is broadly normal for a service of that size.
“Unadvertised library closures are falling and hopefully it will become a stable operation across the city because this network of libraries is incredibly important to people in Bristol. We do have difficult budget decisions ahead of us but I am absolutely determined that we should do everything we can to preserve as many of our branch libraries as possible.
“Partly because they serve other purposes, such as warm and welcoming spaces for everyone, particularly I think we are going to have shivering pensioners this year and the library network will be a warm and welcoming place for them to read a book at the same time.”
In a submitted question to Cllr Williams, which was filed prior to the Members Forum, Cllr Kent asked for details as to the work being done to ensure that the libraries would stay open. In a written response, Cllr Williams said: “The Library Service completed another round of mass recruitment of branch library assistants in July, with interviews throughout August.
“[In total] 19 out of 22 vacancies were filled in this phase. Library Assistants are now starting in post, depending on their notice period.
“The remaining vacant posts will be re-advertised. We also have permission to recruit to the casual/pool team to support on-the-day sickness requirements. This recruitment will be tailored to gaps we have for certain libraries or areas.”
In February, a freeze on casual staff recruitment across the library network was lifted, resulting in staff being able to cover absences due to sickness and annual leave. It came after a winter which saw Bristol libraries close nearly 300 times, from November until January, due to staff shortages. All 26 local branches were affected by closures, with Filwood library in Knowle the worst hit.
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