THE county councillor for Okehampton Rural Division has urged local residents to engage with a public consultation on Devon's libraries. The library services of Okehampton, Chagford and Moretonhampstead are all certain to change following a cost cutting consultation by the county council. The ongoing 13-week consultation is exploring proposals to create a network of 22 'Devon Centres' at the county's busiest libraries, which account for nearly 80% of the council's total library usage. It is planned for Okehampton Library to be developed into a 'Devon Centre'. The process would include identifying other services which could share the library space, and where appropriate, staff. The council is also looking to hear from communities to identify how 28 smaller libraries could be sustained in the future. This includes the communities of Chagford and Moretonhampstead. While Okehampton Library is not under threat of closure from the proposals, Cllr Kevin Ball has urged users of the library and people of the town to engage with the consultation to ensure that the county council is aware of the library's importance to the community. Cllr Ball said: 'Our library is not under threat of closure, but I don't want people to take the library for granted. There have to be savings found so things will change. 'In areas where libraries are clearly under risk of closure, lots of people are vocalising their opinions and stating the importance of their library. In Okehampton, because there is a perception that our library is safe, it is a concern that people are not doing enough to get their voices heard and share their views.' Cllr Jan Goffey volunteers with the Books on Wheels service run in partnership with the library, taking books and audiobooks to people who enjoy reading or listening to audiobooks, but cannot get to a library. She said that a consultation event in Okehampton Library only attracted four people and that townspeople needed to 'use it or lose it'. The council is looking to shave £1.5-million from its library budget over the next three years. Book lending remains a core service of the library with more than 138,000 people using Devon libraries in 2012/13, but more people are using the service to access reading material and information online and in new formats. Libraries are also playing an increasing role in supporting communities through initiatives such as Books on Prescription and Free Fridays. The consultation will run until July 17 and a definitive set of proposals will go before the county council's cabinet in September. Information on the consultation is available on the website http://www.toughchoices.co.uk">www.toughchoices.co.uk as well as in libraries and through the mobile library service. Ideas and comments can be emailed to [email protected]">[email protected]