Raunds Library’s Future Sparks Uncertainty

Users of a town’s library have received assurances that the facility is not facing closure, despite a social media message that had raised concerns about its viability. A now-deleted Facebook post from Raunds Library had indicated that the institution was at risk of closure, attributing this to “financial pressures” affecting Creating Tomorrow Trust (CTT), which serves as its primary funding partner. North Northamptonshire Council released a statement asserting that it was “business as usual for the library,” while CTT confirmed ongoing discussions with the council following a reevaluation of their agreement to operate the location. The council, which is under Conservative control, stated that the library operates through a tripartite partnership involving the council itself, CTT, and Raunds Community Library Trust (RCLT). In 2018, Raunds was among 21 libraries that faced potential closure by the then-existing Northamptonshire County Council. Subsequently, it transitioned into a community library, leasing its premises from the former council. Nevertheless, the library was transferred to local volunteers last year, following the intervention of CTT, an organization that offers opportunities for students with learning difficulties, and RCLT. The removed Facebook post indicated that CCT was “having to leave the partnership” and that “the services the library offers will be lost to the town.” In response, Helen Howell, the deputy leader of the council, expressed her disappointment regarding the “misleading” post disseminated by RCLT. She stated: “It is not in the interests of effective partnership working for one partner to make statements about another without prior agreement.” CTT declared in a statement: “The financial pressures of the [special educational needs and disability] Send education sector are well-documented and understood and we are not immune to them.” CTT’s statement also mentioned that since discussions with [the council] about Raunds library began in early 2022, these pressures have significantly intensified. The trust added: “The priority for CTT is to ensure any partnership we enter in to adds significant value to our student population alongside supporting the wider community. Having reviewed the arrangement to operate the library, we have regrettably concluded that it has not always met our original intentions.” CTT stated that it continues to engage in discussions with the council “to ensure the best possible option going forwards.”