An east London council has sparked criticism over plans to close some of its libraries for up to three days a week, as campaigners warn against “salami slicing” public services.
On Wednesday Hackney Council opened a new public consultation on its proposals to reduce opening hours for the eight libraries across the borough, citing “severe” budget cuts.
The council says it needs to make £773,000 savings across the service but to avoid closing any libraries it has floated three options.
Under the first proposal it would close some sites for up to three days each week. Another option on the table is keeping some open for more days but forcing four libraries to close at 6pm rather than 8pm for at least three days a week.
The third choice is to shorten opening hours across four sites at Shoreditch, Stamford Hill, Clapton and Homerton on Mondays, but close five libraries for at least one extra day of the week – while leaving the remaining three sites’ operating times the same.
But on Thursday (30 October) campaigners attacked the council’s “belt-tightening” and urged residents to reject all three options to avoid “giving a public seal of approval to the budget cuts as a fait accompli”.
Brian Debus of Hackney Unison called on the Labour-run council to demand more funding from central government to avoid the cuts and stop the “continual salami slicing of services”.
“We believe Hackney Libraries provide a vital front-line service in our communities that should be cherished and protected, not consistently chipped away at,” Mr Debus said.
“With over a century of heritage and immeasurably deep roots across the borough, they offer far more than simply book-lending. They are one of the last areas of public civic life, accessible to all, located at the heart of the community,” he added.
According to Town Hall documents, a third (30%) of people who visit libraries every day to use the computer live in temporary accommodation, social housing or are currently homeless.
Hackney Council said it has protected its libraries from cuts during the “long years of austerity” but it has reduced staff numbers since 2023. In 2024, the council floated shutting down the crumbling Stoke Newington library to save £248,000, but this was met with stiff resistance by Unison. Instead, the council is now refurbishing the building.
Cllr Chris Kennedy, Cabinet Member for Health, Adult Social Care, Voluntary Sector and Culture, told the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) the council was “proud to still have eight council-managed libraries” but financial pressure meant it had to be honest about how to keep them going.
“As a necessary measure towards achieving the £25 million in overall savings identified during last year’s budget setting process, we are proposing to reduce library opening hours. The feedback of residents and library users on these proposals is crucial and will help us make final decisions that are fair, balanced, and reflect the needs of our community,” Cllr Kennedy said.
The council added that there were no current plans to slash the libraries budget further.
Hackney residents can give their views on the proposals via the council’s website. The consultation closes on 27 January 2026.
