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Cuts planned for at home library service for elderly

9:50am Thursday 3rd November 2011 in News By James Wallin

A fresh round of cuts will “devastate” a library service, according to opposition councillors.

Proposed cuts to West Sussex’s library service include axing delivery of books to care homes and sheltered housing across the county.

West Sussex County Council has been accused of damaging the service and targeting the most vulnerable.

But the Conservative administration has insisted the savings are necessary to keep the county’s 36 libraries open.

The authority is planning to shave £654,000 from its libraries budget in the next two years with 17 jobs being lost.

Cuts include proposals to buy 20,000 fewer books next year and fines and rental charges could be increased.

Cutting the mobile service to residential care homes is an appalling idea. This is a lifeline for some people

Bob Smytherman

Liberal Democrat councillor Bob Smytherman said: “Cutting the mobile service to residential care homes is an appalling idea.

“We should be extending the mobile service, not cutting it.”

But the council’s deputy leader Lionel Barnard, who is responsible for libraries, said: “The most important thing for us is that as many libraries as possible stay open and under these plans we think we can keep all of them open."

Coun Barnard said the authority is looking into volunteers delivering books instead.

The community services select committee will discuss the plans on Wednesday, November 9 before Coun Barnard makes his decision.

There will then be a public consultation.

For more on this story see today's Argus.

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Comments(13)

Servalan says...
10:25am Thu 3 Nov 11

Nice GROCER'S APOSTROPHE in your headline there, James Wally. /facepalms/

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Sarah Booker says...
10:30am Thu 3 Nov 11

My typo, not James'. Corrected now, sorry.

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Servalan says...
10:37am Thu 3 Nov 11

Perhaps I misunderstand but I don't see why it's possessive: do you mean "Cuts planned for the elderly at home library service"?

... oh, actually, I get it now: Cuts planned for elderly residents' "at home library service"

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spencer1973 says...
10:38am Thu 3 Nov 11

£454,000 is a lot of money, rather have a few books cut than 1p on my council tax. Let the elderly read stuff on the internet like most of us

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Servalan says...
10:41am Thu 3 Nov 11

spencer1973 wrote:
£454,000 is a lot of money, rather have a few books cut than 1p on my council tax. Let the elderly read stuff on the internet like most of us
Are you saying that if the elderly hadn't fought on the wrong side in world war II, this country would be run PROPERLY instead of all this flabby liberal nonsense we've had to put up with since 1945? It's an interesting conjecture, but I'm not sure it's entirely fair, as the British electorate were not afforded a referendum on whether or not to fight the Bosch...

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Jowint says...
10:43am Thu 3 Nov 11

It's always the lousy English that puts me off this site, and here's another prime example. The position of the apostrophe is irrelevant as there's no such word as 'elderlys' (or even 'elderlies' if you were tempted to try that). Try 'elderly' or 'the elderly'. 'The elderly's' could just make sense, but only if it was followed by something that belonged/was connected to them.

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Servalan says...
10:48am Thu 3 Nov 11

Jwoint, I now realise that is what they were attempting: to use the phrase "At-home library service" as a the object of possession. It doesn't really work, as most readers will parse it as "at a home library service".

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Sarah Booker says...
10:50am Thu 3 Nov 11

Servalan wrote:
Perhaps I misunderstand but I don't see why it's possessive: do you mean "Cuts planned for the elderly at home library service"? ... oh, actually, I get it now: Cuts planned for elderly residents' "at home library service"
The service is not elderly, it is for the elderly.
Headline reworked as it is more important to discuss the issue.

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Charismatic Andrew says...
11:58am Thu 3 Nov 11

Servalan wrote:
spencer1973 wrote: £454,000 is a lot of money, rather have a few books cut than 1p on my council tax. Let the elderly read stuff on the internet like most of us
Are you saying that if the elderly hadn't fought on the wrong side in world war II, this country would be run PROPERLY instead of all this flabby liberal nonsense we've had to put up with since 1945? It's an interesting conjecture, but I'm not sure it's entirely fair, as the British electorate were not afforded a referendum on whether or not to fight the Bosch...
Fight the Bosch?!?! I don't see what Home Appliances have got to do with this.

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Rearrangethedeckchairs says...
12:15pm Thu 3 Nov 11

Glad to see the debate here focusing on what is truly important- the use/placement of the apostrophe as opposed to cuts in services''''''''''

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BWallers says...
12:19pm Thu 3 Nov 11

Leaving aside other folks snide comments on punctuation for a moment the real issue here is the effect on the vulnerable people who currently enjoy a much needed and appreciated library service, which also supplies formats that are not easy to normally obtain (large print) or prohibitive to buy due to cost (audio books). If Coun. Barnard is sincere in wishing to keep as many libraries open as possible then he must realise a 'Homes' service, though a mobile one, is still a library in its own right. Shame on the council for even suggesting such a heartless initiative

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Hi Spaniola says...
2:21pm Thu 3 Nov 11

WE LIVE IN EAST SUSSEX, THIS IS THE ARGUS! WHY IS THIS A LOCAL STORY? WHY IS THE LEVEL OF REPORTING SO ATROCIOUS? WHY AM I WRITING THIS IN CAPITAL LETTER?

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Artificial says...
3:39pm Thu 3 Nov 11

Hi Spaniola wrote:
WE LIVE IN EAST SUSSEX, THIS IS THE ARGUS! WHY IS THIS A LOCAL STORY? WHY IS THE LEVEL OF REPORTING SO ATROCIOUS? WHY AM I WRITING THIS IN CAPITAL LETTER?
YOU live in East Sussex, some of us live in West Sussex and read a SUSSEX newspaper... facepalm

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