A TRADE union has hit back at the Department of Education and Children's decision to cut library services in the Isle of Man.
Prospect has said the Family Library in Douglas and the Mobile Library service provide a "vital link" to many in society.
Last week the department announced a range of cuts – including the closure of all government run pre-school education - ahead of the Budget which will be revealed tomorrow (February 21).
Announcing the cuts Education and Children Minister Peter Karran MHK said: "We are in difficult times. The situation that needs to be recognised is that I was determined not to go for the easy option and hit the statutory obligations.
"As Minister of Education I believe secondary and primary have been hit enough over the last several years and there was no other choice but to look at the issues that weren't statutory."
Staff who will be affected by the cuts were informed on Thursday (February 16) and according to Prospect those who work for the library services "broke down in tears at the news that services, which provide a vital link to the elderly, housebound, disabled and least privileged in Manx society, would go forever".
Angela Moffatt, the negotiations officer for Prospect, said: "It was incredibly emotional. You have groups of people absolutely relying on the family and mobile library who have little else. Local schools regularly use the facilities and there is heavy use for both services.
"There's a disproportionate impact on women, children and vulnerable adults – it's women by and large out of work and women, children and the vulnerable losing the service provision.
"We were emphatically told by the department that the decision has not been made on how much the services are used or who is using them.
"The department has just spent £100K on a new mobile library – this illustrates how completely shambolic these decisions are.
"The pupil/teacher ratio on the Island, with previous cuts to teaching jobs, is already at a worrying level – now we further cut quality by getting rid of pre-school education and library support. How is this good long term for the Island or the economy?"
An online petition – "Stop the Isle of Man Government from closing the family library" - has been set up and so far has more than 700 signatures. Paper petitions can also be obtained by e-mailing goa@manx.net.
Angela continued: "Most feedback we are getting is from people saying this is not what you cut first. Nursery and libraries are not where you start making cuts.
"People are saying that the Council of Ministers has got this wrong. They need to help the Department of Education sustain services and make the savings elsewhere. The Council of Ministers could do that but are choosing not to.
"These cuts are sad but not inevitable when the savings could be forced in less priority project areas. Just ask the public – they will tell you where the cuts should be.
"Once these services are gone they are gone forever. You can't plug the gap with vouchers and you can't get them back."
Mr Karran added that the Department of Education and Children was working with different parties to try and fill the "void" left by the closure of the library services "in order to preserve most of what is there at the present time".
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