Library staff are facing a shake-up because of council cuts.

A document seen by The Argus shows budget proposals by Brighton and Hove City Council could lead to 17 post reductions as well as a change to the way the library service operates.

Meanwhile the council would create new positions including library equal access officer and library income generation manager.

It comes as more than 800 people have signed a petition against the axing of the mobile library service.

The Green administration seeks to cut £212,000 from the library service in 2012/13.

This will include cutting hours at Hangleton and Portslade libraries, ending payments for individual subscriptions to the RNIB talking books and stopping the mobile library service.

Staff have 90 days to give their thoughts on the proposals but the document will not be published.

The consultation document shows only four posts will be unaffected by the proposals, plans including a new shift system.

The role of library assistant will be axed and rolled into that of library officer. This will leave 66 library officers across the city’s 14 facilities, to be managed by a team of seven managers.

The council estimates 17.84 posts will be lost with 10.7 of those eliminated by not filling vacancies.

Unison representative Alex Knutsen said the latest proposals were an improvement on the initial position.

He said: “When we first sat down I looked at what they were proposing and said ‘if you put this to consultation we will be balloting immediately’. What is now being proposed is much improved and hopefully we will be able to avoid redundancies.”

The proposals estimate saving £32,000 in 2012/13 by stopping the mobile library service.

At last night’s cabinet meeting Harry Spillman, a former East Sussex County councillor with responsibility for libraries, presented an 850-signature petition against the mobile library closure.

A council spokesman refused to comment on the consultation paper as it was not a public document.

He said: “We have an extended period of consultation through to May 7 and no decisions will be made until after consultation has finished.”

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