Pembrokeshire County Council has confirmed that if the Friends of Narberth Library don’t step in to save the town’s library, the building will close in April.

The latest option was put forward to a well-attended meeting organised by the voluntary group on Wednesday.

Discussions have already gotten underway between the Friends group, Narberth Town Council and Mike Cavanagh, head of cultural services at Pembrokeshire County Council, as budget cuts bite at County Hall.

Recently elected chair of the Friends of Narberth Library, Marc Tierney, said: “I have been warning for some time that there is a real threat to yet another county council provided service for the people of Narberth and the surrounding area.

“Rural communities like ours face real challenges ahead if we wish to maintain important services like libraries as further UK Government cuts cripple our public services.

“I am heartened by the response of the community to step up and work with the town council who have already given their backing to the project. It is vital we keep Narberth library open for the hundreds of regular users who live in Narberth and the rural communities that surround the town.

“The meeting decided that it was unacceptable for the library to close and for a mobile replacement to be offered instead. But keeping what we’ve got - with the community taking over the running of the library - won’t be easy. We are all going to have to work hard to make this a success.”

NO TIME TO WASTE

Mr. Tierney added: “We now need volunteers, with an interest in keeping the library open, to come forward as quickly as possible so that we can maintain and eventually increase the opening hours of the library for the benefit of the community.”

If you’re interested in getting involved, please email [email protected] or call 07903 794 693 or find the group on Facebook - just search Friends of Narberth Library.