Western Isles libraries continue to thrive with almost 100,000 visitors annually in the face of swingeing budget cuts and operational pressures.

To address the growing strain on staff and services, it is now being proposed that councillors find funding for a development officer post and explore alternative income streams.

Figures in a report to Comhairle nan Eilean Siar’s Education and Children’s Services Committee reveal that 97,957 visits were recorded across the library network during the 2025-2026 financial year.

As the flagship library, Stornoway led the way, recording 67,372 visitors. Lionacleit Library in Benbecula welcomed 13,866 people, while Tarbert Library registered 6,951 visits and Castlebay library racking up 3,416 visitors.

For those unable to reach a local library, the mobile service provided an essential lifeline for borrowers. The Lewis and Harris mobile library logged 4,722 visits by patrons and the Uist Mobile served 1,580 visitors.

To support the delivery of the Library Service Strategic Plan 2025–2027, the Education, Sport and Children’s Services Committee is being recommended to authorise the Chief Executive, Chief Financial Officer, and Chief Officer for Education, Sport and Children’s Services to explore funding options to establish the fixed-term Libraries Development Officer role.

The proposed post, previously identified at a cost of £51,664, would be tasked to:

“explore the detail on the full costings of delivering the service in alignment with the Strategic Plan in full”

“identify what could be delivered within the existing service based on current budget provision”

“identify areas of synergy and overlap with wider partners/ organisation”

and “explore alternative funding options to support delivery and provide enhanced resources within the Library Service”.

The move, however, comes against a backdrop of ongoing financial constraints for Comhairle nan Eilean Siar.

As part of the council’s savings drives, the library service has been forced to deliver savings of £100,000 in 2023/24, £50,000 in 2024/25, and £37,300 in 2025/26.

Councillors will hear on Tuesday that “these cumulative reductions have had an understandable impact on the service’s staffing and operational capacity”. Officers warn that “vacancy management and temporary arrangements are no longer sufficient to offset the cumulative budget reductions approved by the Comhairle.”

The human impact on library personnel and day-to-day access has reached a critical point.

The report explicitly states: “The current lack of staffing resources is having a significant negative impact on the health and wellbeing of staff.”

Furthermore, following the earlier removal of the relief staff budget, the service has suffered “occasional branch closures due to staff annual leave and sickness absence.”

Restoring relief budgets and staff hours reduced from 2025/26 would cost £37,300, alongside £17,939 needed for a 17-hour-per-week library assistant post.

Importantly, the review identified that “the principal challenge facing the Library Service is not the operation of library buildings but the lack of professional staffing and front-line capacity.”

Throughout the service, “employees are undertaking responsibilities beyond the scope of their substantive posts in order to maintain service delivery.”

A capacity crunch is emerging just as the Comhairle remains legally bound by Section 163 of the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973, which states that local authorities have a duty to ensure “adequate library facilities” for everyone living in their area.

Despite the challenging background, library staff have driven forward key community initiatives, the report states. Significant progress has been made in digitising local history collections, photographs, maps, and audio recordings, alongside the launch of the heritage platform Ar n Àite.

In addition, the service has co-located with the Bairns Hoose project in Stornoway to create a dedicated Children’s Library, secured a Nook Sensory Pod on loan, and is actively seeking ‘warm hub’ funding in partnership with Adult Learning and NHS Western Isles.

Further development priorities under the Strategic Plan include Gaelic provision, early years support, and satellite library hubs.

Underlining the necessity of investment, the report acknowledges: “As a knowledge-based service, its most important asset is its staff and their professional expertise.”