Library Consultations

Thank you for your interest in our consultation regarding the proposed changes to the opening hours of the public libraries in North Ayrshire.  

As part of the Council’s previous budget setting process, in light of the challenging financial environmental facing local authorities, a reduction to the opening hours of public libraries was approved. We recognise that any change in opening hours has an impact on library users.

This consultation is not about the principle of reducing opening hours, as that decision has been taken. The consultation is focused on the revised opening hours themselves, to give all library users the opportunity to have a say on the changes and make any suggestions.

We will do this through a variety of engagements including this online consultation, face to face meetings with key stakeholders as well as gathering staff and Trade Union feedback. The information from these sources will be gathered, collated, analysed and used to help shape the final version of the revised opening times later this year. 

In developing the proposed opening hours, we have gathered a huge amount of information on each individual library to help base the decisions on. Each of our libraries is very different and has different demands placed on it via the local community or partner organisations. These have all been taken into consideration and we have tried to revise the hours to minimise the impact locally.  

In addition, we have proposed to close a library on a day another locality library is open. In doing so it assists communities access a library local to them as well as allowing the potential to have staff work across different libraries, hence creating more meaningful posts with good hours and giving continuity to customers.  

Please find below information about each library affected including individual library’s statistics and specific roles and remits in their community. Please visit each page to read through the information, consider the suggested opening times and take the opportunity to share your thoughts.  

Thank you again for your assistance with this critical piece of work.  

North Ayrshire Library Service