Revised opening hours for libraries across Norfolk will come into effect from Monday (3 October) following a consultation earlier this year.

Norfolk County Council launched a consultation in May which put forward different opening times options for each of its 47 libraries that would see opening hours reduce by an average of 10 per cent across the county. More than 8,000 people responded to the consultation and the options chosen by the majority of people determined each library’s revised opening times.

The new opening times were announced in July and information has been displayed in libraries in the run-up to the changed opening hours coming in from October. A full list of the revised opening hours by library is available here: http://www.norfolk.gov.uk/view/NCC092889. People can also ring the County Council’s customer service centre on 0344 800 8006 to find out their local library’s new opening hours.

The County Council has always resolved that none of its 47 libraries would close as part of its cost savings measures, made necessary by a reduction in government grants and rising cost pressures. The idea to reduce libraries’ opening hours as a way of helping to make the savings of £1.49 million expected of the library service over three years came out of Norfolk’s Big Conversation, the council’s consultation on prioritising its services in order to find savings.

For more information on the library service in Norfolk, including where your nearest library is, and to join online for free visit www.norfolk.gov.uk/libraries.