Write to your Councillor about Hackney Library cuts 

Hackney's libraries are a vital and much-loved public asset. In an area of extreme inequality, libraries offer our citizens knowledge, empowerment and community.

But our libraries service isn't just the buildings and books & materials they house - it's run by caring and dedicated staff. It's our staff that make sure the libraries open on time, run the events and offer help to those in need. Put simply, Hackney's libraries are great because we have great staff.

This is now at risk with plans to cut a significant number of libraries staff jobs. The result would be a reduced presence with less staff for users to interact with, riskier to effectively prevent or manage health & safety issues, and make temporary closures more likely in the event of staff shortages.

It's also especially unfair that the senior management team received an additional £50k funding only for that to be paid for by further staff cuts.

These changes could make it unsustainable to run our libraries in the long-term and result in permanent closures. Help us today, by writing to your local Councillor to stop these plans, invest in the service using the Council's significant reserves, and protect our libraries for future generations.

UNISON Hackney Local Government Branch