logo
welcome
BBC

BBC

Public libraries in 'crisis' as councils cut services

BBC
Summary
Nutrition label

84% Informative

More than 180 council-run libraries have either closed or handed over to volunteer groups since 2016 .

More deprived communities were four times more likely to have lost a publicly-funded library.

2,000 jobs have also been lost and a third of those remaining have had their hours reduced.

Government says it is committed to giving stability back to local councils.

Birmingham City Council is consulting on plans to reduce its 35 libraries down to 25 .

Sunderland went from having 11 libraries in 2016 to just three in 2023 , losing 65 staff members.

Havering Borough Council is planning to close four more libraries in north-east London .

Oxfordshire and South Gloucestershire increased the number of libraries they ran in their area.

VR Score

88

Informative language

86

Neutral language

88

Article tone

informal

Language

English

Language complexity

51

Offensive language

not offensive

Hate speech

not hateful

Attention-grabbing headline

not detected

Known propaganda techniques

not detected

Time-value

short-lived

Source diversity

1

Affiliate links

no affiliate links