LIBRARY opening hours in Fife are to be reviewed so that services can remain “sustainable”. 

ONFife, the cultural trust that run libraries on behalf of Fife Council launched a 90-day consultation with staff members on September 3. 

It says opening hours for every library will now include at least one morning, one afternoon, one evening and one weekend session to suit varying needs and claims this is based on current footfall, customer feedback and the requirements of the trust’s events and activities programme.

Details of the final proposed opening hours will be shared after the staff consultation, with details expected to be revealed after Christmas. The new opening hours are expected to be implemented from April 1 next year.

At the end of 2015, the trust decided to close facilities in Crossgates, Abbeyview and Townhill within three years as part of plans to revamp the library service and save £813,000.

Heather Stuart, chief executive, said: “Given the library closures of a few years ago, we entirely understand that some users may be concerned about more of the same. 

“We want to allay these fears and emphasise that this realignment of library hours is about sustaining our services according to the public need rather than closing any more facilities. 

“We are now in a much stronger place than ever before to respond to customer needs while conserving and building for the future.”

June Souter, head of libraries service development, said: “This public consultation on the future of ONFife’s library services combined with research into best practice has given us a much better understanding of what Fifers want from a modern library and what is required to ensure our libraries remain sustainable and meet the needs of customers and communities. 

"Looking at how best opening hours can support the delivery of the new vision for Fife’s libraries is an important and necessary part of this work.”