Volunteers at Batley library were left dismayed as the shelves were emptied in what turned out to be a book sale misunderstanding. They are now appealing to those who took books to return them and help save the Grade II-listed building.
A social media advert had mistakenly led customers to believe they could fill a bag with books from a sale table for £1. As a result, sections of the library were “decimated” as people loaded library books into their bags, under the belief that the library was closing down.
Steve McGrath, a member of Friends of Batley Library, expressed gratitude for the offers to buy new library books, but emphasized the need for support to preserve the building.
Kirklees council has plans to sell the building, which was gifted to Batley by philanthropist Andrew Carnegie. The proposal involves relocating the library to Batley town hall, the sale of which would generate hundreds of thousands of pounds to address budgetary deficits.
McGrath expressed hope that those who took books would return and support the cause of keeping the library open. He appealed to their passion, saying, “If they had the passion to come here to empty, please have the passion to support us, this little group of people trying to keep it open.”
According to McGrath, the library served as a natural gathering place for people of all ages, social groups, and ethnicities. He described it as the only building in town where people come without being influenced by any specific group, but rather out of their inherent connection to the library. “This is such a natural hub of the community here and it would be such a shame to lose it. Everybody’s here because it’s such a beautiful building. It’s just a family, and that’s what I’m afraid we’ll lose if we move out of this building,” he added.
With the council facing financial challenges, it highlighted the need to make difficult decisions to save £47.8m in next year’s budget and avoid bankruptcy. The council attributed these challenges to government cuts to local authorities in the past 12 years and the increased demand for local services due to the cost of living crisis.
Batley council is one of several in danger of issuing a section 114 notice, which signifies its inability to balance the budget for the upcoming year.
In response, the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities stated that it is the responsibility of councils to manage their own finances.
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