Aberdeenshire Council Expresses Regret Regarding Library Closure Communication

Aberdeenshire Council has conveyed its “regret” concerning the manner in which it announced the impending closures of 13 library facilities. Live Life Aberdeenshire, the entity responsible for providing council services, stated on Friday that these locations were slated for closure by the year’s end, citing declining patronage. It also indicated that 18 libraries situated in “main towns” would continue to operate. Nevertheless, the announcement prompted a strong community reaction concerning the perceived absence of prior consultation. BBC Scotland News has ascertained that councillors are expected to make a definitive determination prior to the conclusion of the financial year, potentially allowing some facilities to continue operating into 2025. Laurence Findlay, who serves as Aberdeenshire Council’s director of education and children’s services, commented that he would have preferred an opportunity to engage comprehensively with local communities beforehand. The specific library buildings designated for closure are located in Balmedie, Boddam, Cairnbulg, Cruden Bay, Insch, Inverbervie, Kintore, Macduff, New Pitsligo, Newmachar, Newtonhill, Rosehearty, and Strichen. Campaigns in the form of petitions have been initiated to oppose these proposed closures. Mr Findlay stated: “We regret how this has been handled to date.”I think the communication around the whole proposal was unfortunate.”There’s been engagement with a number of users in some of the areas. We haven’t consulted with all users yet.”But our assurance is to continue engaging with communities over the weeks ahead to allow councillors to make an informed decision about the future of these buildings.” He further explained that the intention was to shut down the physical buildings while ensuring library services would persist through alternative means. Alison Nolan, the chief executive of the Scottish Library and Information Council (SLIC), voiced “grave concerns” regarding the “drastic” character of the proposed plans.