UNISON is warning Devon County Council not to let the consultation responses it received on its proposals for the future of the library service to fall on deaf ears.
The union’s warning comes after the Council released figures last week on the number of people who took part in the consultation.
Andy Bowman, Branch Chair at UNISON Devon County Branch, said: “Whilst it’s great that thousands of people have responded, it doesn’t take a genius to work out that the response rate was so high because the people of Devon are seriously concerned about the Council’s proposals and...
Devon County Council has described responses to its recent consultation on the future of Devon's library service as 'extremely positive'.
Never has the council had such a level of responses to previous library consultations, in terms of numbers and quality of feedback.
5,500 returned questionnaires; 2,500 attendees at local library drop-in sessions; 1,000 people at public meetings; as well as emails, letters and petitions that have been sent to the Council.
Results from them all are now being collated, digested, and deliberated over by senior Managers and...
Communities say they are keen to work with Devon County Council to ensure their library service continues.
Towns and villages, which had feared a potential loss of their library services due to budget cuts, are saying that alternative solutions are achievable if people put their minds to it.
So far, more than two out of every three of the 2,500 people (67.7 per cent) responding to the council’s consultation agree with the proposals for their local library.
More than eight out of every 10 respondees agree that sharing library space with multiple services – the...
Young writers are invited to get their creative juices flowing in a competition that could see their published story read by library users across Devon.
Devon County Council‘s library service has issued the challenge, welcoming stories of any length on the theme of ‘Mythical Creatures’.
Entries can be as written stories, picture or comic books, and there are two age group categories: 5 to 10 years, and 11 to 16 years.
Four winners will be chosen – two from each age category – to have their stories published online as eBooks on the library service’s new ‘Kids...
Pandora Munoz has won first prize in a design a Doctor Who monster competition run by St Thomas Library.
The library, situated in Church road, Exeter, hosted an award event presenting Pandora with an upgraded version of the design she created.
The monster was redrawn and coloured by Simon Brett a local artist who works for the longest running scifi magazine in the world, Starburst. He presented Pandora with a framed original of her creature: ‘The Soul Stealer’.
Simon was impressed, saying: "Its inventive design and fascinating back story with special powers would...
Visitors are expected to flock to Exeter Library on Thursday 22 May, when Devon County Council’s multi-million pound refurbishment is finally revealed.
The opening date is announced this week in a special report to Councillors of the Exeter Board ahead of its meeting on Monday 27 January.
The County Council report follows public consultation on Exeter Library, as well as Pinhoe, St Thomas and Topsham libraries, which drew 555 responses.
As a result, St Thomas library will open for longer while the £4.1 million refurbished Exeter Library will open 58 hours per week,...
An ancient village church has been reprieved from closure and is now entering an exciting new phase with the opening of a mini community library.
On Saturday St Mary’s Church, Poltimore, just outside Exeter, will be opening a mini-library in its building and will also be celebrating the reprieve.
When villagers realised their Grade 1 listed church, in the centre of the village was about to be closed because two longstanding churchwardens were retiring, they sprang into action.
Villager Jan Davey and parish clerk Jenny Edwards stepped forward to become new...
Part audio-walk, part installation, and part performance Ariel , conceived by Alice Tatton Brown, is a 30-minute performance designed for two people at a time, taking place in Exeter Central Library.
Using an extraordinary early 20th century photographic collection, found in an Exeter junk shop, Ariel delves into an unsolved mystery of the two people in the photographs. Sharing this private collection for the first time, Alice will reveal the patterns the couple left behind leading to three years of research and the ultimate discovery of their identity. The truth, as it turns out,...
Libraries across Devon are encouraging residents to ‘think differently’ this month as part of a project to inspire creativity.
A series of events and activities associated with experiment, discovery, play, learning and reflection will be held throughout June aimed getting people to try something new.
Designed for those of all ages, they include activities such as learning to use a smart phone, creating treasures at a free play table, cake decorating, knitting and discovering how e-book readers work.
Councillor Roger Croad, Devon County Council’s Cabinet Member for...
A pioneering scheme designed to improve people’s memory and mental wellbeing through shared reading is being rolled out across libraries in Devon next week. (Monday 21 January)
Devon County Council has joined forces with national charity The Reader Organisation to expand the successful ‘Get Into Reading' programme, and create 'Reading Together in Devon' - a county-wide network of 'Library Memory Groups' and 'Feel Better with a Book' groups.
A year-long pilot of ‘Library Memory Groups’ was launched in Devon County Council’s Libraries in Tiverton and Exeter Central two years...
