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A five-year plan for Wirral's libraries has been approved by councillors. The plan aims to make libraries a "front door" to other council services.
The Tourism, Communities, Culture and Leisure Committee approved Libraries for All: Wirral Libraries Strategy 2026-2031 at its meeting on Thursday, 22 October. The decision takes effect on Wednesday, 28 October, unless it is called in.
We reported earlier this month that the committee was due to decide on the strategy.
The strategy is built around eight priorities: access, community, learning, reading, wellbeing, information, culture and digital.
A public consultation on the strategy in March and April garnered 190 responses, with around 30 pupils from Year 7 to 9 taking part in another session in June.
The consultation found:
- 68% agreed the strategy reflects the role libraries should play in Wirral's future.
- 96% said it was important libraries stay welcoming and trusted spaces.
- 85% supported libraries acting as a front door to council and partner services.
- Only 48% were confident the strategy would deliver improvements.
A report to the committee says lower confidence was likely affected by a separate consultation in 2025 on library provision and possible closures, with the risk of closures mentioned in a number of responses.
The report also says the council's draft plan for how it will run services expects a reduction in the number of buildings it maintains.
The strategy is designed to protect libraries from that risk by making them part of the council's planned network of community hubs, the report says.
No direct financial implications have been listed for the strategy, as it will be delivered within existing budgets.
The council is also writing a set of Wirral Library Service Standards. From these, residents will get an idea they can expect from library buildings and services.
Progress will be reported to councillors every year, and an annual delivery plan will come back to the committee.
The strategy comes as Irby Library prepares to reopen next spring.
The strategy and committee report are on the council's website.
