We are preparing to reshape our library services to better suit the changing habits of its users, and from November residents will be asked for their ideas and views.
At our cabinet meeting on Wednesday (October 8) councillors gave the greenlight to launch an extensive and detailed 12-week public consultation.
The aim of the consultation will be to gather residents’ views on how libraries should adapt and evolve to meet changing needs and financial pressures.
DCC currently operates 50 libraries which are run by the charity Libraries Unlimited.
There are currently more than 113,000 active registered Library users with children making up the single largest group at 28%.
However, the way the public uses library services has changed, and digital borrowing has surged past one million issues a year.
Last year, Devon’s libraries hosted over 12,000 events ranging from bounce-and-rhyme sessions to Coder Dojos, Lego Clubs and arts and craft such as knitting, drawing in more than 218,000 people.
Despite strong community use – 2.3 million visits were recorded last year – DCC faces mounting budget constraints.
Councillors on Wednesday heard that the newly developed Library Needs Assessment will guide future strategy and help identify gaps and opportunities for development.
The upcoming consultation will explore a variety of options such as revised opening hours, extending access through volunteers and technology, and transitioning some libraries into community hubs managed by local organisations with DCC support.
Cornwall, for example, runs four libraries directly and supports 27 community-managed sites, whereas Lincolnshire operates a hybrid model with 15 core libraries and 35 community partnerships.
Councillor Cheryl Cottle Hunkin, Devon County Council’s Cabinet Member responsible for libraries, said:
“Devon’s libraries are trusted spaces at the heart of our communities. We know how vital they are, and we are absolutely committed to them.
“But the way people are using our libraries is changing, and this is a chance to redesign the service to provide a modern, flexible service which reflects how people use our libraries today.
“Nothing has been decided and when we launch the consultation next month, we want to hear what you, the users, think; your ideas will help us form and shape our proposals.”
Alex Kittow, the Chief Executive of Libraries Unlimited said:
“We understand the funding pressures that Devon County Council are under.
“As a charity we have been using our reserves for the last few years to try to plug the gap and deliver the service as it was, but we cannot continue to do this.
“We are able to offer a substantial amount of added benefits to the service through grants and funding, for example we just used a grant to refurbish the children’s library in Exeter, but the core library service is funded by the Council.
“We are working with DCC to create a more sustainable library service and we urge everyone to get involved in the public consultation when it comes out, as libraries are vital to our communities.”
The consultation will run from November 2025 to January 2026 with. with revised proposals expected to be presented to Cabinet by April 2026.