Organisations running 295 public libraries across England have expressed concern over Suffolk County Council’s proposal to suddenly take its library services back in house.

The fate of Suffolk Libraries, the independent charity that has run Suffolk’s library service since 2012 and which is widely seen as a high-profile success story, hangs in the balance this afternoon as Suffolk County Council decides whether to end its contract.

It is believed that the Council’s Cabinet will end the contract despite widespread opposition from the public including an online petition with nearly 23,000 signatures, its district councils and MPs. There is also disagreement about interpretation of data.

The Optimo partnership, which is made up of four outsourced library services - Culture, Learning and Libraries (Inspire) which runs 58 building and three mobile libraries in Nottinghamshire, Libraries Unlimited which runs 54 libraries in Devon and Torbay, Suffolk Libraries which runs 45 and Explore York Libraries and Archives which runs 15, said:

“We were saddened to hear that Suffolk Libraries IPS have not been able to come to an agreement to continue in their provision of public library services for Suffolk County Council. Our models of delivering library services on behalf of library authorities, are a way of allowing councils to spend less on libraries, maintain and improve services and enable services to be better connected to their communities.

All of our services have proved that in partnership with councils, who take their library duty seriously, we deliver great outcomes and make a real difference to individuals and communities. Financially we are more cost-effective, providing councils with significant savings over the years. Any return to direct delivery by a council will have to result in higher expenditure or reduced services. We encourage all those involved in the situation in Suffolk to pause and really consider the business case for in-housing, as we believe it simply will not add up.

Rebecca Gediking, Head of Libraries at GLL which runs 120 libraries for five local authorities, said: “We have always valued the knowledge and professionalism of colleagues at Suffolk Libraries . As a vibrant, independent and charitable library trust they have played an important role in protecting, expanding and improving library services during their tenure. Back in 2012 Suffolk Libraries played a crucial role in averting the major closures that were being considered by the council at the time.”

“It is unfortunate that there appears to be an irreconcilable breakdown in the relationship between the two parties that has led to the current situation.”

Diana Edmonds, a consultant with extensive experience of the outsourcing of library services both in the private and public sector, said: “I do not think that this decision undermines all outsourced services in the library sector. What it does do, however, is highlight the vulnerability of trusts which are dependent on a single major contract with one Council. Suffolk Libraries have been entrepreneurial in bringing additional funding into the libraries it operates - but the Council is responsible for the provision of the public library service - and if its members choose not to renew the contract with them, it really is game over.

“Within the library sector, we are passionate about libraries and so we naturally focus on those libraries and the service they provide - as do the library users. It is clear from the numbers signing the petition to 'stop Suffolk County Council wrecking our library services' that the service and its operator have considerable local support. What is key, however, is the relationship between the Council and the contractor - and it is this relationship that clearly has broken down.”