A councillor has been assured that the rollout of self-service counters at Bradford’s libraries will not mean visitors are left without anyone to speak to.
In December a new self-service kiosk was installed in Shipley Library with the view to rolling them out in all 10 Bradford Council-run libraries early this year.
A recent report into the library service in Shipley said: “As well as offering improved functionality including on-screen promotions, the kiosks will offer the ability to pay charges using chip and pin technology.
“This is expected to be a popular service judging by the feedback received from a public consultation on IT in libraries.”
The report was discussed at a meeting of the Council’s Shipley Area Committee on Wednesday.
Councillor Debbie Davies (Cons, Baildon) said: “People go to libraries not just to get books, but to speak to people. They want to interact with people.
“I don’t see the kiosks as a positive, I see it as a negative.”
Christine May, manager of Bradford Libraries, assured her that the kiosks were not replacing all the staff at libraries.
She said: “Some people just want to pick up a book and be in and out. For other people who want more interaction, there will still be staff there to talk to.”
