Kirkcaldy councillors have expressed concern at proposed changes to local library provision.
Town representatives have agreed to include a public petition against the closure of Kinghorn Library as part of a representation to the council’s executive committee.
Members of the Kirkcaldy area committee met at the Town House yesterday to agree their stance towards changes to library services, on which a decision is expected to be taken next month.
As part of the consultation by the Fife Cultural Trust, councillors were asked to submit a range of responses, including concerns that opening hours of libraries could be cut without future consultation and claims of over-staffing at some locations.
Neil Crooks, chairman of the area committee, said that while some views were not unanimous, it was important to highlight concern at the proposed cutbacks.
“We have captured what we think is the position of the area committee. Stuff that is coming from the communities will be heard as part of the consultation held by the Fife Cultural Trust.
He added: “We need to give the executive views that have been gathered here at Kirkcaldy area committee.”
Proposals for a revised local library service were unveiled earlier this year.
Fife Cultural Trust presented proposals that would result in the closure of Kinghorn Library and the relocation of Sinclairtown Library from Loughborough Road to the new Kirkcaldy East High School.
Opening hours are also likely to be cut, and while the town’s central library at Kirkcaldy Galleries will remain open for 40 hours a week, those at Templehall and Burntisland could be half of that.
That is despite concern from some councillors about the scale of the changes and the potential impact they may have on the area.
Councillor George Kay hoped that new submissions could be made ahead of the group’s formal representation to the executive committee, which meets on December 8.
“The community has been working on this and I think that it is important that the community is heard.”
His motion to keep the discussion open for new entries was defeated, however.