WORRIED library users have helped win a reprieve on the future of Ryedale’s libraries.

North Yorkshire County Council has also set up a £650,000 fund to create more time for communities to help re-shape the county’s library service.

The council leader, Coun John Weighell, who agreed the two moves, said cuts should be shared by all libraries, “not concentrated on some while others are spared”.

Coun Weighell added: “Responses have made clear the need for more time for any communities wanting to take over their libraries to put together a coherent plan.

“We have had no choice but to agree a very tough budget settlement. The county has to find £69 million in savings over the next four years.”

The council has agreed to earmark £300,000 from its library service book fund and £350,000 from the general corporate budget to fund the scheme to aid communities to run their libraries in partnership with the county council.

County Coun John Clark suggested that £1.5 million could be saved by reducing the number of existing mobile libraries from 10 to four, reducing the opening hours of existing libraries and cutting the library book fund.

His proposals are also to be discussed at a later date when the county authority makes its decisions on the libraries.

Residents of Helmsley packed the town hall last Wednesday to give a big thumbs-up to save their threatened library.

Within minutes several people had put their names forward to help set up a community partnership scheme with the county council if it withdraws the service.

One plan could be to establish a one-stop shop plan with the library, which is based at the town hall and was last year’s county library of the year.

County Coun Val Arnold, who organised the meeting, said: “We must fight to save our library. It is vital to the people of Helmsley and district.”

Town councillor John Buffoni said that with 8,000 people living in the area, it was important to boost the number of library users from the present 600.

Julie Blaisdale, assistant director of library and community services at County Hall, said there had been an overwhelming response at the 20 public meetings held throughout the county over potential changes to the service.

She said efficiencies had saved £1.1 million in the past two years and a further £2.3 million needed to be saved over the next four years.

“It will require radical changes to the way services are delivered – the status quo is not an option,” she said.

The plan for the future is to support a network of community run libraries and to have two “super mobile” libraries, she added.

One resident suggested that Kirkbymoorside and Helmsley libraries could each be open one day a week, with staff sharing the duties – an idea which is to be considered, along with others, at County Hall.

Coun Chris Dowie, newly-appointed deputy mayor of Kirkbymoorside, and a leading campaigner to save the town’s library, said she welcomed the reprieve.

“It will give more time to underline the case to keep it open because we believe it should be run by the county council and not by a volunteer group,” she said.

“It would be very unfair if Pickering’s library was kept open at our expense and ours was having to be run by other organisations and residents in the town.”