A high-level fact-finding tour of West Devon libraries has been welcomed by the mayor of Tavistock as the service is reviewed.

Tavistock mayor Cllr Steve Hipsey stressed the valuable community role Tavistock and other libraries play and pleaded for the service to be strengthened, rather than be reduced.

Devon County Council (DCC) has completed a public consultation (attracting 25,000 responses) on the future of the library service which has 50 sites across the country, including Okehampton, Tavistock and Princetown in West Devon.

The service is provided by charity Libraries Unlimited and overseen by the county council which is proposing changes to save funds. The council stresses it will not close any libraries , but has suggested cutting opening hours and standardising hours while increasing use of technology and using more volunteers and community-management.

Cllr Hipsey, whose mayoral charity supports the town library, said: “I fully recognise that local government finances are under significant pressure.

“However, given the vital role that libraries play in communities such as ours, any reduction in opening hours or staffing levels would move us in a direction diametrically opposed to the one that a healthy and thriving society requires. Libraries should be strengthened and supported, not diminished.”

He said he was very pleased that county councillor Cllr Cottle-Hunkin and representatives of Libraries Unlimited had visited Tavistock Library: “Tavistock is a growing town with a large rural hinterland, and the library is a vital civic asset that supports learning, wellbeing and community life for people of all ages.”

Cllr Hipsey said the the role of libraries in supporting child literacy is particularly important, supported by trained staff, and fundamental to early development, language skills and lifelong learning.

Cllr Cheryl Cottle-Hunkin, DCC member for rural affairs, visited Tavistock Library as part of a fact-finding tour of libraries across West Devon and the South Hams with Kate Turner, of Libraries Unlimited and Cllr Debo Sellis, DCC member for Tavistock and Gulworthy.

During the visit councillors and the library’s friends group highlighted the importance of Tavistock Library not only as a place to borrow books, but as a vital civic space serving the town and rural area.

The visitors heard about the issues and of the importance of Tavistock Library to varied communities. The county council is expected to consider the results of the consultation before announcing its proposals for the future structure of library services later this year.

The library provides access to digital services, supports learning for residents of all ages, and offers an inclusive public space where people can meet, study and participate in community life.

Cllr Hipsey added: “In an age when many children spend increasing amounts of time watching screens, libraries provide a calm and structured setting where young people can engage with language, stories and learn in ways profoundly beneficial to their development.”

He said Tavistock Library also helps welcome new residents: “As Tavistock continues to grow, with significant new housing development in and around the area, the library offers a neutral and welcoming place where people can connect with local life and begin to build a sense of belonging within the community.”