Libraries and contact centres

Changes to libraries, contact centres and library and information service approved

We have approved the establishment of an integrated service for libraries and contact centres in six towns across the Borders and the restructure of the remaining Library and Information Service.

The aim of the integration and restructure is to improve performance and ensure these services are established on a sustainable basis following a decline in recent years in the numbers of people using both libraries and contact centres, alongside the requirement to make savings and rationalise the Council's property portfolio.

Bringing libraries and contact centre services together will secure savings and retain the full range of services delivered from library and contact centres to ensure that both stay locally available.  The Library and Information Service restructure will modernise the service and result in the development and improvement of both the quality and range of services offered to the public.

Contact centre services will be combined with library services in Jedburgh, Kelso, Duns, Coldstream, Innerleithen and Selkirk.  Staff will be trained to deliver both types of service so that more efficiencies and benefits are delivered than by solely co-locating these services.  Within Duns this would also include the co-location of the Registrar within the integrated service.

It is proposed that for Jedburgh, Kelso, Duns, Innerleithen and Coldstream the location of the integrated service would be in the existing library.  There will be further consultation with the Selkirk community on the location of the integrated service.

Following consultation it was agreed to remove Melrose from the scope of the proposals.  Unlike the other towns there is currently no contact centre in Melrose and, during consultation, there was found to be no demand for this service from the community.