LLANDYSUL’S library will be run by volunteers from the beginning of March after a deal was agreed with Ceredigion County Council that would help secure its future.

The future of the library had been in doubt as council chiefs tried to find ways of saving money, but an angry backlash from residents in the town saw local campaigners join together to fight to save it.

That battle now looks to have been successful with Ceredigion council’s Cabinet hearing that an agreement had been reached between the authority and the volunteer group to take over the running of the library.

A report from Arwyn Morris, the head of ICT and customer service, said: “Continuing to provide a library service in Llandysul is challenging as the staffing levels have reduced since the beginning of October 2017.

“This has resulted in reduction in opening hours as we have one vacant post.

“A meeting was held on 26 October between a group of local campaigners to save the library, Cllr Keith Evans (Llandysul councillor), Cabinet member with responsibility for library service and the head of service for libraries, to discuss the possibility of volunteers running the service. The outcome of the meeting was that in principle, running of Llandysul’s library by volunteers was acceptable.

“The volunteers would be expected to open and close the library on the agreed opening times and keeping the area clean and tidy and managing the service during opening times.

“The council would provide a member of staff to call in the library for a few hours per week to provide professional service and any additional training/assistance required."

See this week’s South Ceredigion paper for the full story, available in shops and as a digital edition now