Caerphilly county borough council is re-shaping the way it provides its mobile library service for residents across the area.
Cllr Phil Bevan, cabinet member for education explains, “The council currently has one mobile library vehicle in operation which serves the whole county borough. The vehicle is approaching the end of its working life, so CCBC’s cabinet has now agreed a new way forward to deliver an improved mobile service for the future.”
Since 2006, two mobile ‘Library Link’ vehicles have been used to provide a specialist service to housebound residents within the area. These Library Link vehicles currently serve around 300 residents.
Two extra ‘Library Link’ vehicles are now on order and they should come into service next month. These additional resources will allow the council to support more customers in their own homes.
The ‘Library Link’ vehicles boast a range of modern features including:
- Disabled customer access
- Face out display and conventional shelving for 1,500 books and audio visual items
- Circulation space sufficient to support a number of customers accessing the service at the same time
- Staff counter area
New criteria has also been agreed to allow more residents to be eligible for ‘Library Link’ access. This is based on age, frailty, disability and lack of transport etc.
The ‘Library Link’ service complements the 19 static libraries located across the area with 98.8% of the population living within 2 miles of their nearest facility. This exceeds the Welsh Assembly Government Public Library Standard of 95%.
All present Mobile Library vehicle users will be informed that the existing service will be withdrawn in December and advised of the new criteria for eligibility to access the new Library Link vehicles.
