Following a three month consultation with service users, new opening times at Dudley libraries and the archives centre will be introduced in August.

Reduced opening times are being introduced as part of agreed cost savings across the council to meet the demands of budget cuts from central government.

All libraries will still be open at least six days a week and two of the borough’s main libraries will be open 7 days a week. Evening opening times will continue where there is public demand. Councillor Rachel Harris, cabinet member for health and wellbeing, said:

“The decision to reduce our opening times reflects a need to reduce budgets across the council in a time of huge cuts to local government funding.

“The good news is that no libraries are closing. Instead we have reduced the opening hours but only after listening to feedback from customers and looking closely at usage data which highlighted when people were actually using the libraries.”

The new opening hours come into effect on 1 August 2016. To find out about the new times contact your local library or the archives and local history centre or visit: www.dudley.gov.uk/libraries