PEOPLE in Ilminster are being urged to have their say on the future of the town’s library.

Ilminster Library is on the provisional list of 20 Somerset County Council libraries due to have funding withdrawn.

At a town council meeting last Tuesday, councillors asked members of the public to tell them what they think.

If funding is withdrawn from the county council and people want to keep the library going, council tax could rise by around £10 a year.

There is a petition to save the library, which has attracted pages full of signatures so far. Now the town council wants people to contact them with their views via e-mail or to attend this Tuesday’s full council meeting.

Cllr Linda Vijeh said: “We need to get a feeling of what people in Ilminster think – if it is a £10 increase that’s only 20p a week.”

Some councillors were keen to point out the role a library plays in the community.

Cllr Roger Swann said: “I am fully aware of the financial obligations – but if we lose the library we could be making problems for the future. You can tell in an instant the difference when a child has had access to books.”

But in the current climate some were unsure if saving the library would be the best use of money.

Cllr Gordon Childs said: “If we looked at this in three or four years time we would say no. With the way things are moving forward you can get book readers which allow you to read every book on the planet.”

WHAT is your view on the future of Ilminster Library? Comment on this story below, e-mail newsdesk@chardandilminsternews.co.uk or write to Postbag, Chard and Ilminster News, 3a Fore Street, Chard, TA20 1PH.