SOMERSET County Council is phasing out print newspapers in libraries across the county, including Frome, to further promote the council’s e-newspaper offer and save money.
An e-newspaper offer was implemented in the library during the Covid-19 pandemic, enabling people to read national newspapers in an online format.
A spokesperson for Somerset County Council said, “An e-newspaper offer, consistent across all of our libraries, was implemented during Covid-19 and was very well received. The package includes all national titles, excluding The Times, a range of world titles with in-built translation service and options for visually impaired readers. All staff are trained to help library users access the service.
“In order to make savings, the physical newspaper cost has been reviewed, since it is the equivalent of the e-newspaper package. It was decided that the e-newspaper offer was the better option for our customers with its wider range of features, especially as the electronic versions are more heavily used.
“This applies to national titles only. All local newspapers are still available in their physical format, along with The Times, whose annual subscription was already included in the current year’s budget. This will not be renewed again next year. Other national titles in their physical form will see a gradual phasing out so that pre-existing contracts for subscriptions are fulfilled.”
One local resident who regularly attends the library said, “I am not happy to hear the library is cutting newspaper subscriptions. In particular this could be isolating to people who go into the library to socialise or read the papers because they don’t use technology or don’t want to read the news online. I feel that maybe some local shops could step up and help.”
