LIBRARIES across Ryedale are making the transition this week from council-funded establishments to volunteer-led ones.

Due to Government cuts, libraries in the district will begin operating in one of three categories - core, hybrid and community managed.

Pickering Library is hosting a “hello and goodbye” evening to mark its change to a hybrid library.

The event will be held tomorrow (Thursday), from 5pm to 7pm, and will provide an opportunity for people to meet the library support group and volunteers, as well as bid farewell to the current library staff.

Kevin Butt, from the support group, said: “As from April 1, we will have one full-time staff member and one back up member who will spend 14 hours at Pickering. Other than that there will be volunteers on hand to run the library. There are no changes to the opening hours and all current community activities will remain and we have no plans to change anything as there is no point in changing a good product.

“We really feel for those workers who will be leaving or moving on and wish to convey our deepest thanks for all their dedication for the library users of Pickering.

“At least one person has been there since it opened and some others about 17 years.”

Kirkbymoorside library will mark its grand re-opening as a community-led library on Saturday, from 9.30am.

There will be fancy dress, crafts and face painting for children, a history exhibition, then author and Guardian journalist Madeleine Bunting will officially open it at 12.30pm with a fanfare by the town band.

Then Ms Bunting and author Rosie Alison will give book talks - these are ticketed - and sign copies of their books. Tickets are £5 and available at admin@kirkbylibrary.org.uk

Norton and Helmsley libraries are also becoming community managed. Helmsley will reopen as Helmsley Community Library at 10am on April 4, and they are recruiting volunteers. Email helmsleylibrary@gmail.com for more information.

Malton library will be a core library, with a combination of 60 per cent of current staffing levels and volunteers.