WARRINGTON Borough Council says it is pleased to see that its libraries offer ‘remains popular’ as figures show the number of sites in the town has increased since 2016.

The BBC Shared Data Unit has found that more than 180 council-run libraries have either been closed or handed over to volunteer groups over the past eight years across the UK, while more than 2,000 jobs have been lost.

A Government spokesperson said it recognised ‘pressures’ facing libraries and it was ‘committed to giving stability back to local councils so services such as these can best meet the needs of their communities’.

According to the figures, Warrington had a total of 11 statutory libraries in 2016, which increased to 13 in 2023 – a gain of two.

But the figures say three of the remaining libraries were operating with reduced hours in 2023, compared to 2016.

Furthermore, the figures show the staff headcount has increased by four.

The council says it is pleased to see that its libraries offer ‘remains popular’ and it is able to provide a range of activities and services in line with its public library strategy.

A spokesman added: “Our library services have a range of activities and support on offer day to day, which have a really positive impact for our local residents. Our annual activity sees Warrington’s libraries host 2,500 activities, attracting 24,000 participants.

“This includes health and wellbeing focused activities, murder mystery events, world book nights and digital activities such as coding workshops, Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR) sessions, and 3D printing workshops.

“On a weekly basis, individual libraries regularly run a large programme of activities for children, such as story times, craft sessions, themed treasure hunts, and Lego Club.

“Warm welcome spaces are also hosted during the winter months, as well as the Read to Relax programme, which is a series of reading groups for people with low to moderate mental health issues.

“Our libraries team also extends their reach to cover the whole town, with a number of outreach events to promote reading and connect them to libraries services like online resources, library membership and free events for adults and children.

“We have a number of initiatives throughout the year, including the annual national Summer Reading Challenge and Libraries Week, as well as a Warrington-wide festival called LitFest, which aims to raise the profile of literature, the wider opportunities library services can offer, and engage as many members of the community as possible. We’re delighted that since 2022, LitFest has expanded from a two week festival to a month long programme of activity.

“We also work closely with local Friends of Library groups to expand the offer and for them to act as advocate within their community to promote the library service.”