Proposed changes to the Library Service, Budget Consultation 2025/2026

Read more about this consultation.

We asked

We asked for your views on proposals to:

discontinue the Mobile Library Service.
cease purchasing hard-copy newspapers on a permanent basis.
reduce slightly the self-service opening hours at the four Core Plus libraries (Chipping Barnet, Colindale, Edgware and Finchley Church End).
investigate increasing the number of staffed opening hours in the future.

You said

We received 525 responses to the online consultation and 373 responses from the representative Barnet Citizens’ Panel.

Proposal to discontinue the Mobile Library Service

70% of Citizens’ Panel respondents and 60% of open-consultation respondents supported the proposal to discontinue the Mobile Library Service but retain the 14 libraries and the Home Library Service.
15% of Citizens’ Panel respondents and 24% of open consultation respondents opposed the proposal to discontinue the Mobile Library Service.

Proposal to cease purchasing hard-copy newspapers

71% of Citizens’ Panel respondents and 58% of open consultation respondents supported the proposal to permanently remove hard-copy newspapers from Barnet’s libraries.
17% of Citizens’ Panel respondents and 26% of open consultation respondents opposed the proposal.

Proposal to rduce the self-service opening Hours at Chipping Barnet, Colindale, Edgware and Finchley Church End Libraries

79% of Citizens’ Panel respondents and 61% of open consultation respondents supported the proposal to reduce self-service hours at Core Plus Libraries.
12% of Citizens’ Panel respondents and 21% of open consultation respondents opposed the proposed change in opening hours.

Support for Additional Proposals

The ambition to increase staffed hours was supported by 76% of Citizens’ Panel respondents and 75% of open consultation respondents.

You can read more detail in the full consultation report.

We did

Cabinet approved all four proposals at their meeting on 19 May 2025

From the week commencing 2 June 2025, opening hours at Chipping Barnet, Colindale, Edgware and Finchley Church End Libraries were amended to 8am – 8pm Monday to Friday, 8am – 5pm on Saturday and 10am – 5pm on Sundays.

The Mobile Library will be decommissioned on Friday 25 July 2025. Information will be provided to residents about alternative library sites and for those wishing to transfer to the Home Library Service.

Library managers will investigate options to increase the number of staffed opening hours in static libraries in the future.