CAMPAIGNERS fighting to save Dorset’s Libraries say that the small libraries under threat of cuts are more cost effective.

Figures released by Dorset County Council’s libraries department to campaign group Ad Lib – The Association of the Friends of Dorset Libraries – suggest that the number of books issued at libraries like Portland Tophill are on the rise.

In 2009-10 28,929 books were taken out at the site but in 2010-11 30,097 books were taken out, an increase of four per cent. Children made up 25 per cent to those taking out books.

Other threatened community libraries like Littlemoor, Wyke Regis and Chickerell saw circulation drop between one and four per cent, but this is less than the drop in circulation at bigger libraries like Dorchester and Weymouth.

Weymouth saw a drop of 12 per cent in circulation between 2009-10 and 2010-11 from 197,726 to 174,973, and Dorchester saw a drop of 10 per cent from 253,764 in 2009-10 to 227,994 in 2010-11.

Head of Ad Lib Graham Lee said: “The figures just issued show how ill-thought out this plan is.

“We now know that the big town libraries Dorset Library Service wants to preserve are doing less well than many of the smaller ones it wants to wash its hands of.

“We accept that libraries serve many other purposes than merely lending out books but that is what most people expect of them.

“On that basis, last year the county’s bigger libraries lost business, while some of the smaller libraries lent more books than in the year before.”

Portland library campaigner and councillor Sandy West said that the new figures helped to strengthen the campaign to keep the libraries open.

She said: “Libraries provide other vital resources as well as books like computers and internet access. Not everyone has a computer at home.”

Coun West added that as well as helping to educate and inspire young people, libraries were the ‘heart of communities.’ A separate report has been compiled by Dr Robert Lowe, a libraries campaigner from North Dorset, and he found that community libraries were more cost effective compared to main town libraries.

The total net cost per book issued for community libraries was 90p.

Dr Lowe said: “There have been some major omissions by Dorset County Council, they have not looked at this kind of data. They are not looking at whether it makes sense.”

Dorset County Council said it was still in a consultation period about the future of the 20 libraries.

Paul Leivers, Dorset County Council's head of community services, said: “The council is still in a period of consultation and the results of this will inform reports which will enable members to make decisions about the future of the service.”