An overhaul of how Devon’s libraries are staffed has led to 19 people being made redundant, prompting concerns from campaigners about the impact.
Libraries Unlimited said it had made the 18 library supervisor roles redundant, but that 19 people had been affected by the change because of a job share.
The move comes just months after Devon County Council, which commissions Libraries Unlimited to run the libraries, ploughed £1 million in extra cash into a transformation plan aimed at developing library services and buildings, and agreed not to implement a grouping of libraries that could have led to changes in opening hours after a widespread public consultation.
However, Libraries Unlimited is responsible for employing library staff, something the council has no say or involvement in.
The staff consultation that has led to the redundancies has been carried out by Libraries Unlimited, with the organisation informing the county council about the consultation before it was launched.
Councillor Jess Bailey (Independent, Otter Valley) had tried to get the council to intervene via one of its scrutiny committees, however, it was only agreed that an agenda item on the topic would be included in its November meeting, which will be after the staff cuts have been made.
Libraries Unlimited said the supervisor role would no longer exist and that it had created a different tier of library and community manager (LCM), a role that would mean responsibility for several libraries alongside a “greater strategic overview”.
These new roles will sit alongside Libraries Unlimited’s three existing centre manager roles, who will also take on managing other libraries.
“There will be nine new library and community managers, which are ringfenced for affected staff, and we are currently holding multiple other vacant roles which may be alternatives for staff at risk of redundancy,” a spokesperson for Libraries Unlimited said.
“There has not been a restructure of library staff structures since 2012 and the libraries and how they are used have changed greatly since then.
“We have been looking across the charity for ways to make ourselves more resilient to increasing costs and have already made savings of £300k from our support teams and over £100k from reviewing contracts.
“This review is being done in order for Devon’s libraries to be sustainable in the long term”
The latest available annual report from Libraries Unlimited, which covers the 2024/25 financial year, shows income of just over £9.4 million, but expenditure of nearly £9.7 million.
Around three-quarters of its income in the period came from its agreements with Devon County Council, and Torbay Council which it runs four libraries for. Staffing costs were its largest expense at nearly two-thirds of outgoings.
Cllr Bailey said she had tried to call a special meeting when she found out the outcome of the consultation but had not been given a response.
“I would have hoped Devon County Council, even if it could not demand Libraries Unlimited stop the process, that it could have asked them to pause it so the council could look at the risks and evaluate whether Libraries Unlimited had taken appropriate steps to mitigate against them,” she said.
“In Ottery St Mary, the library supervisor runs a whole range of activities, so who will run those if there is no supervisor?”
She added that all libraries at present were “run and tailored towards what each community wants”, but questioned how that approach could be maintained if library and community managers had to oversee multiple libraries.
“It’s not empowering communities,” Cllr Bailey added.
“People don’t want a centralised, top-down service.
“Devon County Council is the commissioner and has a statutory responsibility, but we have had no assurance as councillors how everything is going to be okay.”
A spokesperson for Devon County Council confirmed that Libraries Unlimited contacted it before the consultation started.
“The council does not determine or have influence over the number of staff the charity employs to deliver the commissioned service,” the spokesperson said.
“The council therefore noted Libraries Unlimited’s intention to consult and has received assurances from the charity that changes will not affect staffed opening hours.”
The council said it agreed a £1 million transformation fund package to develop library services and buildings, as well as an additional £100,000 for books and digital resources, alongside further investment.
“More recently the council has begun a programme to improve access by implementing technology that allows library users to use the library out of hours,” the spokesperson said.
“The council has also cut library fines, which is a barrier for some users.
“Staffing decisions made by Libraries Unlimited are separate from the council’s recent strategic decisions.
“The council provides funding and sets the strategic direction for the library service, while the recent staff consultation and changes to supervisor posts are decisions made by Libraries Unlimited as the employer.”
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