- Status:
- Current consultation
- Start date:
- 22 August 2024
- Closing date:
- 14 November 2024
Details
We want to provide a comprehensive, sustainable and efficient library service for people who live, work or study in Enfield. This includes books and access to digital resources, quiet spaces for study and reflection, access to support groups and social activities for all ages, health and wellbeing support, makerspaces, training and employment advice.
The council faces budget challenges after over a decade of government underfunding, historic inflation levels and recent interest rate rises, and the ongoing cost of living crisis resulting in more residents needing our support. Savings will inevitably need to be made now and in years to come across council services to balance our budgets. In this context, we need to ensure our libraries are delivering accessible and responsive services in the best and most efficient way to meet local need, and matches the offer delivered by other London boroughs.
Our library service plays a critical role in helping people realise their full potential -including those living, working, studying in or visiting Enfield and particularly those facing disadvantage. A number of factors have impacted what people need from their library service, including the Covid-19 pandemic, climate change and the cost-of-living crisis.
To meet the council’s principles to deliver accessible and responsive services and be financially resilient, we have considered how our library service can be delivered in a more efficient way, while ensuring that it continues to meet people’s needs and is comprehensive.
The draft strategy proposes to:
- improve and enhance the library service at Ordnance Unity Centre, Edmonton Green, Ponders End, Fore Street, Millfield House, Palmers Green, Enfield Town and Ridge Avenue, by increasing opening hours at these libraries by a total of 56 hours per week
- retain the home library service and digital library service
- reduce the number of libraries by closing Bullsmoor, Enfield Highway, Enfield Island Village, Bowes Road, Southgate, Winchmore Hill, Oakwood and John Jackson. This is a reduction of 281 hours per week in available services across the borough.
- formally declassify Angel Raynham as a public library, (Angel Raynham is classified as a public library, but it is staffed and managed by the primary school and is not open to public)
We want to hear your feedback to help us further develop and improve our proposals. Using your feedback, we then plan to finalise and publish our final strategy in early 2025.
Who can participate?
Residents of Enfield, people who study in Enfield and people who work in Enfield, representatives of schools, colleges, health organisations, local business, voluntary and community sector organisations, and Metropolitan Police and the London Fire Brigade.
How you can share your views
Please give your views by completing our questionnaire. Alternatively, if you have difficulties completing this, you can instead fill in the easy read version of the questionnaire.
We will also be available to discuss the consultation, answer your questions and help you complete the questionnaire if required. Find out where we’ll be and when (PDF, 93.16 KB). Please note, this document was updated on 10 September (17:30) to include a new date for the drop-in session at Enfield Highway Library.
If you would like to attend the online drop in session on 7th October 2024 at 10am, please email libraries.engagement@enfield.gov.uk to be sent a link to the live event. If have any questions in advance, please also include these within your email to be answered by a member of team.
If you prefer, you can also email us your response to this consultation to libraries.engagement@enfield.gov.uk.
We will carefully consider any responses to this consultation and using your feedback, will finalise, approve and publish our final strategy in early 2025.
Closing date
14 November 2024 (11:59pm).
Further information
Read our draft strategy (PDF, 825.47 KB).
Read our strategic review of our library service (PDF, 1282.74 KB).
Read our equality impact assessment on our proposed changes to the library service (PDF, 1127.42 KB).
Read our proposed changes to opening hours (PDF, 77.8 KB) at Ordnance Unity Centre, Edmonton Green, Ponders End, Fore Street, Palmers Green, Enfield Town and Ridge Avenue.
If you would like this information translated into another language or format or have any queries about this consultation, please call 020 8379 1000 or email libraries.engagement@enfield.gov.uk.