CHIEFS at the National Library of Wales in Aberystwyth “lost focus” on bringing the library back onto a sound financial footing while concentrating on two “poorly handled” tribunal cases and a devastating fire, an auditor’s report has said.

Huw Vaughan Thomas, the Auditor General for Wales released a report on the National Library last week following “a difficult period” between 2013 and 2015.

He said the library had made “some progress” since 2015, but “further work” is needed to make it sustainable.

“Between 2013 and 2015, the Library made significant financial savings in order to remain viable”, Mr Vaughan Thomas’ report found.

“In the face of year-on-year reductions in its grant-in-aid from the Welsh Government, which represents over 80 per cent of the Library’s annual income, the library focused its attention successfully on finding the necessary savings by reducing the number of staff it employs. However, and despite trustees’ concerns, the impact of the staffing reductions on other aspects of the Strategic Plan were not considered in sufficient detail.”

Mr Vaughan Thomas said the report “highlights the scale of the challenges facing the National Library”.

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