‘Supermobile’ provides new chapter in library service

North Yorkshire County Council has announced a new “supermobile” library will replace those controversially axed in budget cutbacks.

Last month saw the last-ever delivery runs for 10 of the county council’s 11 mobile library vans, which for years have carried books out into the most isolated communities and been considered a lifeline by residents. But following on from the closures, local authority chiefs have announced that its supermobile library – which has already been in use for a number of years – will now have its timetable greatly extended.

From October 24, the vehicle which is equipped with 3,000 items of stock including books, DVDs, videos, and audio books, and offers internet access via satellite, will be calling in at 22 locations on a rolling fortnightly timetable, stopping for two hours at a time.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Coun Chris Metcalfe, executive member for libraries, said: “We know, of course, that the withdrawal of the mobile libraries created concerns for people who valued their service and who live in the more remote parts of the county.

“What we are trying to do here is to offer a much improved replacement.

“While the supermobile will not be able to replicate the routes of all the mobiles entirely, we have drawn up a schedule which attempts to ensure that people living furthest away from our library network will have the opportunity to borrow from a much larger range of stock, with the added benefit of internet access.

“By designing a schedule based on two-hourly stops, we hope that the supermobile might in time become a focal point for other community services.”

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

The Yorkshire Post revealed last month that all 22 public libraries originally earmarked for closure by North Yorkshire County Council to counter £69m in cutbacks, are now almost certain to be kept open.

The local authority had already scaled back its original plans following a public outcry, reducing the number of libraries it was pulling all funding from to eight, with 14 more having their budgets slashed by 30 per cent.

Now community groups have submitted bids to keep open all the libraries set for closure, which will be considered by the county council on November 16.