The county council is developing a new 10 year strategy for Hertfordshire’s libraries to ensure it can continue to provide a modern and relevant service.Libraries aren’t just about borrowing books any more. They play a vital role in local communities, providing free access to reading, information, computers, learning and local history for people of all ages.New technology is changing customer expectations and lifestyles so the libraries of the future are likely to look quite different. And with the need to sustain a high quality service within a reduced budget, we cannot stand still if we want our libraries to stay at the heart of local communities.

We want residents to help shape the library service of the future and that’s why we want to hear their views. The first step is to seek residents’ views on what our priorities should be.

The consultation was launched on 21 October 2013, and will run until the end of the year. You can have your say by completing a questionnaire online at
http://www.hertsdirect.org/services/libraries/libraryconsultation or in any Hertfordshire library. There will also be ten public meetings across the county during the consultation period, and drop in sessions in every library, where you can discuss your views with library managers.