Draft library strategy
Bristol’s new draft library strategy presents an opportunity to rethink how we deliver one of our most valuable public services. We welcome its ambition to extend opening hours, improve library spaces and make libraries more accessible to our communities.
The challenge is familiar. Residents want more from their libraries, but the Council has to work within a tight budget. We cannot simply wish away these financial pressures. We must find practical ways to make the best use of the resources we have.
One proposal is to move away from routinely having two trained members of staff on every shift, towards a model in which one trained member of staff works alongside a volunteer. We believe this deserves serious support.
Our professional library staff are indispensable. Their knowledge, expertise and ability to support people with more complex needs must be protected. But not every task requires two trained staff members. Welcoming visitors, helping with straightforward enquiries and supporting activities are all areas where properly trained volunteers can make a real difference.
The key words, however, are properly trained and managed. A successful volunteer programme cannot be improvised. It needs effective recruitment, training, clear responsibilities, reliable rotas and ongoing support from the library service. Volunteers must know when to refer a query to a professional, and staff must never be left carrying an unreasonable burden.
Done well, this approach could allow Bristol to use its existing professional workforce more effectively, extend opening hours and bring more people into our libraries. That would be a genuine improvement for residents, particularly those whose working hours or caring responsibilities make current opening times difficult.
Bristol recorded one million library visits in 2025/26, so these are clearly valued public spaces, and we should be ambitious about their future.
The answer is neither to resist every change nor to rely on goodwill alone. It is to combine professional expertise with community involvement, backed by proper organisation and safeguards. If we get that balance right, our libraries can remain welcoming, accessible and sustainable for generations to come.
Friends of Clifton Centre and Library (FoCCaL)
Since 2015, Friends of Clifton Centre and Library (FoCCaL) has worked with volunteers to bring Clifton Library to life, making sure its doors are open and its spaces are enjoyed even when they might otherwise be unused.
Alongside organising Clifton LitFest, FoCCaL curates two programmes of events each year, featuring talks, films and a wide variety of social activities for the local community. Their new autumn/winter programme is now available on the website, www.foccal.com with printed copies also available at Clifton Library and at locations throughout the Village. Do pick one up and see what’s on offer!
Fix My Street reporting
‘Fix My Street’ is national software to which many local councils, including Bristol City Council, subscribe (Google Fix My Street to access it). It enables street-based issues to be identified, tracked, and their resolution monitored. We encourage local residents to use this system for reporting potholes, flytipping, graffiti and other street based issues where Council action is required.
Missed waste collections should be reported separately on the Bristol Waste Missed Collections web page. Jerome is concerned that there have been a number of incidents recently where residents’ reports (recorded as ‘cases’) have had the ‘case’ closed where the issue has not been resolved. Please can you contact Jerome directly cllr.jerome.thomas@bristol.gov.uk if you are concerned that your issue is not being systematically addressed or the case has been incorrectly closed.
Sad news on copper beech tree in Victoria Square
The much loved large copper beech tree in Victoria Square has sadly become unsafe and now needs to be felled. When concerns were raised in 2020 about the safety of the tree, Paula and Jerome questioned the severity of the reported issues and following some expensive expert stress tests the tree was given a cautious all clear. However in recent months sprouting fungus in the root base of the tree, indicates that the tree is rotting at its base and is now at significant risk of falling.
Contact us
cllr.jerome.thomas@bristol.gov.uk
cllr.paula.orourke@bristol.gov.uk