Thousands have signed petitions calling for Wirral Council not to close Wallasey Central Library in its current form.
In January, council officers proposed to close 10 libraries and relocate Wallasey Central Library from Earlston Road to the Floral Pavilion to close a projected budget gap of £32m.
The proposal has been criticised by the Friends of Wallasey Central Library who argue the library is more than a place for books but also a community hub.
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Wirral Council said no decisions had been made over the future of the library but “the council is likely to face very difficult choices in the coming months and the authority will need to make substantial savings.”
Since then, the Friends campaign has been supported by councillors from Wallasey, Liscard and New Brighton as well as the band Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark who held an auction for a signed copy of their anti-war song “Enola Gay.” The auction raised several thousand pounds for the campaign.
Cllr Sue Powell-Wilde said: “I’ve used Wallasey Central Library for over 60 years, and now use it as my council surgery venue for residents.
“As a foster carer for over 18 years Wallasey Central Library is the first place we take our young people and enrol them in the library. The impact it has on their reading and their education has been quite significant. Holding a book and having it all to themselves was often a first time experience for many, and the summer book challenge is something they always look forward to.
“It is true to say that libraries are and always have been gateways to knowledge and culture.”
A petition started by New Brighton councillor Paul Martin has been signed by more than 2,200 people and Barbara Hardcastle, chair of the Friends group, said more than 1,700 people had signed paper petitions at five stalls over the weekend.
Ms Hardcastle said: “I think it’s the fact that so many people were surprised this was happening. It has really really kicked off, we have been fighting this for so long.
“The response from a lot of people was they were not aware the library was under threat. We printed off a thousand brochures and people were taking them home and sticking them in their windows.”
Cllr Martin said: “We are delighted that this petition has attracted so many signatures in such a short space of time. Having spoken with the volunteers from Friends of Wallasey Central Library, the three New Brighton Labour Councillors – me, Sue Powell-Wilde and Tony Jones – share their view of the importance of this historic and vital service. Over the weekend, the strength of feeling was further reinforced after visiting their stalls across Wallasey.”
The Wallasey Central petition can be found here.
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