Options for the future of Croydon's libraries service

Our library service in Croydon means so much to our residents across the whole borough, something made very clear to us in the responses received during the two phases of consultation about the future of our library service.

Thank you to everyone who took the time to share their views and ideas for the service. This feedback has helped us work through all of the options available to achieve the savings needed for 2022/23, while maintaining a statutory library service.

Options for our future library service

Over the summer we consulted on three options developed to meet the £500,000 savings target while continuing to provide a comprehensive library service.

• Reduce service hours by 21% across the borough
• Outsource all libraries
• Hybrid - reduction in service hours (two days per week) to eight libraries and five community-run libraries

You can read more about these options in the cabinet paper.

In August 2021, cabinet agreed to recommend option one: reduce library service hours by 21% across the borough, to full council. Under this option all libraries remain council-run and open two fewer days per week, except the central library that would open five days per week. Savings would be achieved by a 25% reduction in staff and a 21% reduction in opening hours across all 13 libraries. Library opening days would be adjusted to ensure that at least one library in each area (north, central, and south) was open and staff available each day (Monday to Saturday).

You can watch the discussion at full council here.