Elinor Kelly, the former chair of the Ross Library Development Group is the first chair of the Joint Action for Herefordshire Libraries, an independent action group.

Members of JAHL are drawn from all the county library groups, and their aim is to represent the needs of all library users across Herefordshire. JAHL wants to ensure that the voices of library users are heard.

Dr Kelly said: “We believe that the best public libraries provide vital universal access to literacy, information, knowledge, community and culture. That means they can support the economic development of the county and the health, well-being and education of its residents. We want the people of Herefordshire, and visitors to the county, to have genuine access to the very best library service. JAHL will ensure that the voices of library users are heard loud and clear”.

The group will be working with Herefordshire Council to find ways to sustain and improve the library services throughout the county. You can learn more about JAHL and about the future of Herefordshire Libraries at a meeting being held in Hereford this Friday, January 29th. Jesse Norman MP will chair the meeting.

Priority will be given to discussion about radical proposals to rescue the Broad Street building in Hereford from its current closure and long-term decline and to ensure that a new central library emerges as state of the art, a development in which Herefordshire can take pride.

The meeting is at the Museum Resource Centre, Friars Street Hereford at 6pm on January 29th.

Joint Action for Herefordshire Libraries was born from the struggle to save public libraries. Last year’s threats to close the market town libraries were met with strong opposition, including over 10,000 signatures on the petitions in Ross and Leominster. At this point it became clear it was time for the user groups to work together to support the service throughout Herefordshire.

A spokesman said:?“Every library in the county, from the smallest volunteer led ones to the largest, is interdependent and there is no point fighting for our own corner of the patch if the rest is on fire.”