Unsworth Library – the campaign to save it starts here

Just a quick note to say that I am starting a petition to Save Unsworth Library. As soon as the petition application has been accepted by Bury Council, I will post a link here so that residents can sign it electronically. I will also be collecting as many signatures as I can in person, so you may see me on your doorsteps or out and about around Unsworth.

Please sign the petition and tell your friend and relatives about it too. If we receive a certain number of signatures on the petition, the council has to take action as detailed below:

• Petitions to hold an officer to account – 1500 signatures
• Petitions to be considered by a Cabinet Member at Council – 2500 signatures

Just a few interesting figures to leave you with regarding Bury’s library service, from the council’s own consultation paper:

55,388 ADULT MEMBERS
15,496 JUNIOR MEMBERS
673 GROUP MEMBERS

LIBRARIES OPEN 510 HOURS A WEEK
795,200 LIBRARY VISITS A YEAR

190,159 BOOKS
15,000 NEW BOOKS PURCHASED EACH YEAR
487,199 BOOKS BORROWED ANNUALLY

149,200 ADVICE/INFORMATION ENQUIRIES ANNUALLY
100+ PEOPLE EVERY DAY USE THE LIBRARY TO HELP LOOK FOR WORK
4 JOB CLUBS

£529,994 IN COUNCIL PAYMENTS LAST YEAR
5,275 FINANCIAL TRANSACTIONS
71,800 COUNCIL ENQUIRIES LOGGED LAST YEAR
DISTRIBUTION OF FOOD CADDIES BY LIBRARIES SAVING £16K+ EVERY YEAR

130 VOLUNTEERS
0VER 7,500 VOLUNTEER HOURS EVERY YEAR
6,243 EVENTS HELD LAST YEAR
65,008 PEOPLE ATTENDED

433 IT TRAINING SESSIONS LAST YEAR
1,496 ATTENDEES
185 PUBLIC ACCESS COMPUTERS PROVIDE 325,462 HOURS OF IT TIME

This is all, potentially, threatened by changes the Council may make once the consultation periods have ended.

Make your voice heard.