A mayor has sung the praise of his town library and how it sharpens the minds of young people and supports social cohesion as the county-wide library service future is debated

The mayor of Tavistock Cllr Steve Hipsey spoke about the community value of Tavistock Library while hosting the town council’s annual civic service on Sunday, October 19, with more than 100 guests at St Eustachius’ Church.

Cllr Hipsey’s mayoral charity appeal is in aid of upgrading the town’s library, as a public consultation is soon to begin on the future of the county-wide Devon Libraries service across 50 sites provided by charity Libraries Unlimited (LU).

The LU contract with Devon County Council (DCC) ends in March. The public debate, to inform a new DCC libraries strategy, is due be launched by the council in November, amid concerns the council might make cutbacks to the service amid financial worries.

Cllr Hipsey said: “Our chosen charity this year, the library, shows how inclusion works in practice. It’s a welcoming, colourful, vibrant place – far more than a building full of books.

“It’s where children discover stories, where students and jobseekers find support, where older, less tech-savvy people can find help in this digital world, and where conversation builds community. It offers warmth, opportunity, and the reassurance that everyone is welcome.”

He quoted the Princess of Wales praising the power of books to fire children’s imaginations and said this showed how reading books shapes lives in ways that screens alone cannot.

The mayor told the gathering: “Our library does that every day, sparking curiosity, building confidence and helping people connect with each other and their town.

“Like many public services, libraries everywhere are having to adapt and evolve. It’s easy to overlook their quiet importance, yet they remain among the most trusted and best-used community spaces.”

The library, along with the Meadows park, churches, markets, town hall, Meadowlands Leisure Centre and pubs sustain a sense of belonging and shared purpose.”

Cllr Hipsey said: “A thriving town centre is much more than a place to shop. The old Tavistock Abbey charter describes the settlement as ‘a place for gathering and good order.’ More than a thousand years later, that remains our task – ensuring Tavistock stays a town of gathering, not separation, welcoming and accessible to everyone.

“We’ll continue to care for the places bringing us together, to strengthen links between centre and outskirts and keep the library at the heart of that effort, a bright and generous symbol of learning, welcome, and shared purpose.”

Alex Kittow, LU chief executive, said: “We understand the funding pressures the council is under and there are difficult choices ahead. As a charity, we’ve been using our reserves for the last few years to plug the funding gap and deliver the service for as long as possible, but cannot continue this.

“We are working with the council to create a more sustainable library service. We urge everyone to get involved in the public consultation, as libraries are vital to our communities.”

LU attracts separate funding to provide extra services, allowing the council to concentrate on core services.