Councillors pledge to fight any cuts at Deepings Library

District and county councillors have pledged to campaign to help safeguard computer services at the community-run Deepings Library.

Deepings district Independent councillor Ashley Baxter says he is ‘concerned’ to hear Lincolnshire County Council plans to ‘downsize’ the IT provision at the library from nine computers to three in total.

Currently there are six public computers, one for children and two at the counter.

Coun Baxter says the reduction would have a “major and detrimental impact on services and customers at Lincolnshire’s busiest community library”.

Some people, he said, can’t afford their own computers while others need the peace of the library, or the companionship it offers the lonely. He has urged Deepings county councillors to lobby and campaign to support the library, which they have promised.

Coun Barry Dobson (Con), deputy leader, said: “We want more than two, we want six. We won’t let it go.”

Lincolnshire County Council head of culture Will Mason said the IT in local libraries and community hubs is now out of date so the council is to make a major investment to refresh equipment at all county sites.

“The basic offer for community hubs will be two public-use computers, one for admin, a printer, internet connection and public Wi-Fi. However, we realise a small number of busier hubs are used to having more computers than that, so we will be speaking to each site to identify what additional equipment they might require and how this could be funded.”

Judy Stevens, a Conservative district councillor and chairman of the Friends of Deepings Library, which runs the library, confirmed ‘positive’ talks were underway with the county council.

She said the library having so many members may mean the basic provision is not enough.

“Our computers are in much demand. We are so busy, we have queues of people.”