More than 180 council-run libraries in the UK have either closed or been handed to volunteer groups since 2016, analysis by the BBC has revealed.
The broadcaster found that more deprived communities were four times more likely to have lost a publicly funded library in that time.
A third of remaining libraries, about 950, have had their hours reduced since 2016 – with at least three councils cutting provision by half.
Libraries Connected, which represents library services in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, said the figures laid bare ‘the scale of the crisis’ and confirmed that libraries were hit hardest by cuts in the areas that needed them most.
The charity’s CEO, Isobel Hunter, said: ‘But as this data shows, it is not just outright closures that threaten the library network – it is also a gradual reduction in opening hours, staff numbers and operating budgets that can leave libraries unable to meet the needs of their communities.’
She added: ‘Without urgent investment and a fair, sustainable funding settlement for local government, we risk hollowing out our public library network and storing up huge problems for the future.’
