Suffolk Libraries IPS sends strong message to customers as it takes control of libraries

IPS Chair Shona Bendix

Today is the day that Suffolk County Council formally hand control of Suffolk’s libraries to the new Suffolk Libraries IPS. On handover day the Chair of the IPS Shona Bendix sends a strong message to library users in a letter published on the Suffollk Libraries website  and distributed to branches.

The letter promises it will be “business as usual"

There will be no change to the things which are important to you so you will still be able to :

• borrow books for free 
• reserve Suffolk books for free 
• browse on the internet for free for 2 hours a day 
• use any Suffolk library 
• get help with information 

But the most important promise comes next

IPS General Manager Alison Wheeler
leads the Suffolk Libraries staff

We are honoured and proud to run Suffolk’s library services and we are committed to ensuring that the services are customer friendly, meet local needs and keep up the high standards. This includes keeping our expert and friendly paid staff.

We will not be closing any libraries and there are no plans to replace paid staff with volunteers.

For those of us who campaigned hard last year to save Suffolk’s libraries these words I think represent the true success of our campaign in not only saving libraries from closure but protecting the jobs of the much loved and respected library staff.

Whatever the politics of why we have an IPS running libraries rather than the County Council the libraries are now in the hands of people who have a real commitment to keeping the service going and who understand the importance of staff.

There is plenty more work for the IPS to do now but I think that the libraries are in safer hands today than they were yesterday.

Today also sees the re-branding of the Suffolk Libraries website and the launch of a new section on the site with information about the IPS