Dear Resident

RE: CLOSURE OF THE HORSMONDEN LIBRARY

As you will probably be aware, discussions have been taking place between Kent County Library Services and the Parish Council since February regarding the future of our library at Horsmonden, situated within the primary school.

Owing to a fall in the number of people using the library, it has been the intention of Kent Library services to close the library and provide a mobile service instead, which would probably call at Horsmonden for approximately one hour a week. The Library service across the county is hard-pressed for resources and is seeking to re-allocate staff and finance to areas where the service is used to a greater degree than is currently the case in Horsmonden.

In an attempt to try and save the Library from closing, the Parish Council have been able to negotiate a trial period lasting until the end of September. During this trial period , membership of the Library must double and borrowing triple , otherwise the library will close permanently at the end of September and be replaced by the mobile service.

If you wish to help save the library and keep this valuable service in the village, you can help by doing the following:

a) Become a member, if you aren’t already – ask others in your family to join, including children.

• b) Use the library – it has a number of services to offer, including books, videos and DVDs to borrow as well as free use of the internet. There is also an ordering service if the item you want isn’t in local stock.
• c) Continue using the service – the library will only remain if there is a sustained and substantial increase in the membership and total number of items borrowed.

The library opening times are as follows:

WEDNESDAY  – 3.30pm – 6.00pm

FRIDAY   – 3.30pm – 6.00pm

SATURDAY   - 9.30am – 1.00pm

The library is open during school holidays