TENSION cranked up over the future of Devon’s librarians as a potential decision on cuts nears.

Libraries Unlimited, the organisation that oversees the 50 libraries in the Devon County Council area, has confirmed it is conducting a staff consultation that could see the number of librarians reduced.

Friction emerged at the council’s cabinet meeting this week (Wednesday, October 14) with some councillors urging Devon to do more, but cabinet members and senior officers stressing that it was entirely unconnected to staffing decisions in libraries and could not get involved in consultations being held by third-party organisations.

Prior to the meeting, Councillor Cheryl Cottle Hunkin (Liberal Democrat, Torrington Rural), had provided a written answer to a question that sought to understand whether the proposed staffing restructure by Libraries Unlimited could be held off until the proposals had been scrutinised by the council.

While the issue had been raised at a scrutiny meeting last week, it was added to that committee’s work programme, meaning any assessment of the move would likely be made after a decision on librarians had been taken.

The latest available annual report from Libraries Unlimited, which covers the 2024/25 financial year, shows income of just over £9.4 million, but expenditure of nearly £9.7 million.

Around three-quarters of its income in the period came from its agreements with Devon County Council, and Torbay Council which it runs four libraries for. Staffing costs were its largest expense at nearly two-thirds of outgoings.

“It is important to recognise that the proposed staffing changes are the subject of consultation being undertaken by Libraries Unlimited in its role as employer,” Cllr Cottle Hunkin said in her written response.

“Neither cabinet nor the scrutiny committee can direct Libraries Unlimited in relation to its employment processes or decisions.

“Accordingly, I am unable to give the assurance requested that no decision or implementation activity will take place before scrutiny considers the matter.”

Councillor Jess Bailey (Independent, Otter Valley) had posed the question, and raised the issue during cabinet.

Her initial raising of the topic came during an item on the bluetongue virus that has ravaged the county and the council’s response to that issue.

“I think you cannot help but draw a distinction between the support that’s being given to farmers [through the resilience and wellbeing fund] and the lack of support that’s being given to libraries,” she said.

“I read last night the proposed changes to libraries are going to save around £140,000-£160,000. I don’t know whether that is true as we haven’t been told anything at Devon County Council about that, and the decision is set to be taken on 19 October and we’ve got nothing about it here, and then by contrast the bluetongue report that has been rushed through and a proposal brought forward.

“It’s not that I don’t support what you’re doing with bluetongue support, of course I do, and of course I support the farmers, but I would like to see the appropriate funding to help our libraries.”

Councillor Julian Brazil (Liberal Democrat, Kingsbridge), the leader of the council, responded robustly, defending the council’s recent amplified funding for libraries, and stressing that any savings being sought by staff reductions were entirely within Libraries Unlimited, which was conducting the staff consultation..

“The county council have given an extra £2 million to libraries, no libraries are closing and no hours are being reduced in the service, so it is an incredible misrepresentation that somehow this council is now reneging on its deal with libraries when it absolutely is not,” he said.

“It is an operational issue in Libraries Unlimited. They are organising themselves and making themselves resilient for the 21st Century and into the future.

“They are reorganising how they run their library service but our funding has stayed exactly as it was, there is nothing being saved from our budget whatsoever.”

The exchange continued with Cllr Bailey stressing that the county council had the statutory duty to provide a comprehensive library service, meaning it would make sense to evaluate the potential impact of a prospective staff consultation, while Cllr Brazil noted that Libraries Unlimited carried out their job professionally, and that the council monitored them.

“If they fall below the statutory duty that we insist upon, then absolutely we will step in,” he added.

“But it is not the case at the moment and it is not for us to micromanage what Libraries Unlimited do.”

Libraries Unlimited has previously stated it cannot comment on details of the consultation while it is ongoing.