New opening hours in effect at Dorset Council libraries
The changes have been on the cards since last summer
Dorset Council are changing their opening hours from today (Monday 1st July).
We were warned that they'd be altered last summer, but in practice will only mean sites are staffed for one hour less than before.
The Council's admitted the changes are bigger in some places than others, but the overall network won't be greatly affected.
Dorset libraries will be open for 630 hours per week, |newtab) with the new hours aimed at making the service more consistent across different areas.
Activities and events timetables have been updated to fit with the changes.
Dorset Council say they've also provided better job security for staff, with 90% of the 135 employees getting the equivalent of a promotion through the new strategy.
Aidan Dunn, Executive Director for Corporate Development said:
“Over the course of 18 months, through our #LetsTalkLibraries campaign, we worked with our customers, communities, employees and partners to develop a new Library Strategy. The strategy outlines the library service’s contribution to Dorset and how we will support individuals and communities to be more connected and improve life chances, with a mission to ‘Inspire, Connect and Enable our communities through our services’.
“In 2 phases of public consultation we built a clear picture of both what our current library users and our non-library users wanted to see from us, now and in the future.
“The last time our service was reviewed was over 10 years ago. Since then, there have been significant changes in what our customers want from their libraries. Libraries are now about so much more than just books. They’ve become community spaces offering a range of activities, information and support, providing easier access for Dorset residents.
“Our library teams are excited to welcome you during our new opening times.”