PROPOSED changes to Hampshire’s mobile library service have been announced – with 18 job losses and stops almost halved.

The county council’s library and information service is releasing the proposals ahead of a second round of consultation.

The council is proposing only one mobile library stop per community, or two if the community is spread out, and no stops within two miles of a static library. Every rural community that currently gets a visit from a mobile library will continue to do so.

Although there may be fewer stops per community, each stop will be a minimum of 20 minutes instead of 10 minutes in many cases, and the service will operate longer hours during the week and Saturdays. The council will also be closely monitoring how many people use each mobile library. If there are consistently fewer than 10 people using any one stop (more for the longer stops) that stop will be axed in 2012.

For customers unable to reach revised mobile stops due to mobility issues, it is proposed to put extra resources into the home library service which will use trained volunteers to deliver books and audio books direct to their homes.

A council spokesman said that over the last five years visits to mobile libraries have gone down by more than 23 per cent.

The new service aims to save £600,000 by reducing the total number of stops from 1,200 every fortnight to 345 a month. It will also see the loss of 18 full-time jobs.

Executive member for culture and recreation Councillor Margaret Snaith-Tempia said: “Hampshire County Council’s mobile library service has been in operation for over 40 years and has never been comprehensively reviewed, leaving it neither efficient or sustainable in these tight financial times.

“The new structure was devised through consultation with current users and district, town and parish councils, but to make sure we have incorporated everything we are now asking people to make further comments.”

To view the new proposed routes go to www.hants.gov.uk/mobile-libraries.

To comment on the proposed changes to the mobile library service email library.customer|comments@hants.gov.uk before Monday, February 14.