Cabinet to discuss trustees for Crown Street library building

PLANS to appoint independent trustees for Darlington’s Crown Street library building will be discussed by councillors next week.

A report prepared ahead of next Tuesday’s (8 October) meeting of Darlington Borough Council’s Cabinet also recommends setting up a library service consultative group, made up of library users.

The report recommends councillors agree to the appointment of up to three independent trustees of the Crown Street building.

It is proposed that council officers take responsibility for advertising the vacancies, interview arrangements and legal formalities, with a Cabinet sub-committee formed to hold interviews and decide who to appoint.

Councillor Heather Scott, Leader of Darlington Borough Council, said: “We know very well how precious Crown Street Library is to the people of Darlington – both in terms of the library service and the building itself.

“The library was bequeathed to the people of Darlington in 1885, using funds from the estate of Edward Pease.

“This proposal to appoint up to three new trustees, totally independent of the council, is formal recognition of the fact that this truly is the people’s library.”

Once new independent trustees are appointed, the board of trustees for the Crown Street Library building would then be made up of the Council as a trustee and the independent trustees.

The Council as a trustee would have a single vote on any matter and the independent trustees would each have a single vote, with decisions made by majority.

While the trustees would be concerned with the library building itself, there are also plans to set up a library service consultative group, which it is hoped will become the main forum for anybody interested to raise issues, concerns and ideas about the library services itself.

Cabinet meets at 5pm on Tuesday 8 October.

https://democracy.darlington.gov.uk/ieListDocuments.aspx?CId=137&MId=1940&Ver=4