LIBRARY campaigners have warned that a diminishing book fund could be the equivalent of a death by thousand cuts for Hove Library.

Former Green councillor Christopher Hawtree has said that a quarter reduction in the budget for library books poses a new threat to the future of the Carnegie less than six months after it was saved.

Campaigners fought off proposals to close the Carnegie building and move the Hove Library into Hove Museum as part of the 2016/17 budget proposals.

But that decision means that a new strategy for the library is still in development for next year's budget with more than £200,000 of cuts to be made by 2018/19.

Budget proposals released earlier this month include closing the library on Sundays even though such a move could be challenged by judicial review and could harm any plans to use parts of the library for income generation.

Council officers have also warned in budget papers that the 26 per cent cut in the book fund over the next four years could have a negative impact on customer satisfaction.

Mr Hawtree called for the book fund to be brought in house so that more localised and informed choices could be made on books.

The former Green parliamentary candidate for Hove said a Friends of Carnegie Library group will be formed within weeks to continue to fight for the future of the historic building which was gifted to the city by philanthropic businessman Andrew Carnegie in 1908.

Mr Hawtree said people were clambering for books but the Carnegie and branch libraries were playing second fiddle to the Jubilee Library and waiting for books to be delivered from the Brighton city centre library.

He said: "The draft document says that the book fund - previously ring-fenced as part of the PFI deal - will be cut by 26 per cent.

"This is closing libraries by other means.

"Fewer books means less use, and so it goes.

"Every survey has shown that people put books as far and away the main reason for going to a library."

Councillor Alan Robins, economic development and culture lead, said the city’s library stock had 370,000 books and most recent surveys showed that more three-quarters of library users felt the book stock was “good or very good”.

He added a recent audit showed that the city council’s spend on books and purchasing of new stock per population fared very well against its nearest comparators.

He added: “There is always room for improvement but these figures show we don’t do badly at all.”