Mobile library faces end of the road for estate book lovers

A MOBILE book-lending service, which has been running in Derby for more than a decade, could be axed because the city now has more libraries.

The city council library van used to visit stops across Derby, including community centres and supermarket car parks.

But as new libraries have opened, the number of places it visits has been reduced.

Now, the authority says it serves only about 150 customers and is no longer cost-effective. Stopping it would save the council £65,000 a year.

Officials have suggested the service ends from March 31. A decision will be made when the budget is set next month.

David Potton, head of the city's library service, said: "Since the middle of the decade we have been filling in those gaps in the permanent library service so there is nowhere that is not about a mile from a library.

"The mobile service always visited those parts of the city which didn't have a static library and so the need for the mobile library is now less."

Money from Government has helped the city council open a new library in Derwent in 2007, Oakwood in 2008 and Allenton last year.

Work is nearing completion on another library in Mackworth, which is due to open in March, and Chellaston is due to get its library in June.

The library van currently stops in parts of Littleover, Darley Abbey, Mackworth and Chellaston.

Councillor Joe Naitta, the council's cabinet member for leisure and culture, said he believed people were well served by libraries in the city. "If the mobile service stops the only place that will lose out as such is Littleover, and we have plans to look for funding for a library there," he said.

But some people think the mobile service should still continue.

Marie Clay, 29, of Stockbrook Street in Derby said she thought more people would use the service if it was properly advertised.

"I see the van outside the community centre in Stockbrook Street, but I never realised I could use it," she said. "I would love to use it. I don't go into the library in town as it is too far."

Sandy Ford, 37, who lives off King Alfred Street, said: "The mobile library comes at lunchtime, which isn't great for people who work or whose children are at school or nursery.

"If it came later, after school, then we could take our kids there to borrow books and it would be better used. People don't want to have to go into town to get to the library there."

The council says, if the mobile service is stopped, people who cannot get to a library because of age or disability could use the home library service which visits people in their own homes.