COUNCIL bosses say they have no plans to cut back on library staff as part of a new strategy for Worcestershire libraries.
Worcestershire County Council’s new two-year plan aims to expand digital opportunities, increase outreach and make libraries central to public services, pending cabinet approval on Thursday (July 2).
The refreshed strategy covers library services from April 2026 to March 2028.
It pledges no immediate changes to the current library network – including the service’s 102 members of staff, though potential future changes could result from wider council transformation and local government reorganisation.
Cabinet papers state: “The most significant resource is library customer advisors, who are frontline staff delivering a range of services within libraries including facilitating activity groups and responding to individual customer enquiries.
COMMUNITY: Jenny Walters , Jane Young , Jan Morris , Anita Kiss promoting dementia friendly libraries at St John’s Library, Worcester (Image: Supplied)
“Library customer advisors are in scope of council’s plans to transform the customer operating model for residents, but there are currently no planned reductions for headcount.”
Over the past five years, libraries across the county have hosted vaccination sessions, banking hubs, recruitment fairs, digital cafes and wellbeing groups, reflecting their evolving role in the community.
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The service has also become more digitally inclusive, blending physical and online offerings.
Through the Libraries Unlocked scheme, opening hours have risen by 59 per cent, the council said, resulting in 4,900 hours of recorded community library use between 2024 and 2025.
LIBRARIES: Dame Harriett Baldwin MP, pictured with Alex Collins and Olivia Flanagan, is backing the Summer Reading Challenge taking place at Worcestershire Libraries (Image: Submitted)
A resident survey with 3,415 responses found high support for books, free wi-fi and computers, community events and learning activities.
But it highlighted under-representation among young people, men, and non-library users – audiences the council now plans to target.
The strategy identifies five key priorities, including strengthening libraries as a gateway to council and community services, boosting digital inclusion, supporting early years and reading, growing the physical library audience and improving representation.
READ MORE: Harriett Baldwin MP backs Summer Reading Challenge
Economic growth also features in the plan, with ongoing support for the Worcestershire Business and Intellectual Property Centre, adult learning, and job-seeking services.
The report says the strategy should not create significant new pressure in the short term, with delivery largely expected through better use of existing resources.
However, the report cautions that financial pressures and potential local government changes could influence future library delivery.
Councillors are being told the updated strategy is important because library authorities must provide a “comprehensive and efficient” service under law.
Worcestershire’s libraries are now being redefined not just as traditional branches for lending books, but as modern community hubs and service points that can support learning, inclusivity and digital access across the county.
The next two years of the library strategy are expected to shape just how far that role can expand.
