Hampshire's library book budget slashed by GBP530,000 (UK)

Hampshire's library book budget has been slashed by more than half-a-million pounds, as unions warn the service is a "soft target" for cuts by councils. Librarians are protesting against plans to axe 65 out of 463 library posts to avoid a GBP1.3m overspend on the GBP18m budget this year. Now it has emerged bosses "kept back" GBP530,000 from the GBP2.6m fund for buying books, journals, DVDs and other materials to balance the 2009-10 library service budget. The cash could have bought about 53,000 hardbacks or 106,000 paperbacks - 2,000 for each of the county's 53 libraries in 2009-10. Critics say it is no surprise fewer people are visiting libraries if they can't find the books they want on library shelves - Hampshire Chronicle