PEOPLE across North Yorkshire are being asked to give their views on proposals for "community involvement " in running the county’s library service.

By 2020, the County Council will have seen its library budget fall dramatically from around £7.8m in 2010 to an expected £4.2m for 2019-20. The reduction is part of a cut of some £167m to the council’s overall spending.

A three-month county-wide consultation will be on key points including proposals to retain a "core library" in Harrogate, Malton, Northallerton, Richmond/Catterick, Scarborough, Selby and Skipton, staffed by a combination of professional county library staff and volunteers.

"Hybrid libraries", for which the cost of the premises, and one member of staff, would be met by the County Council, will depend on volunteers working alongside the paid member of staff. They are proposed for Filey, Knaresborough, Pickering, Ripon, and Whitby.

An additional 20 community managed libraries would be at Bedale, Bentham, Boroughbridge, Colburn, Catterick/Richmond, Crosshills, Easingwold, Eastfield, Helmsley, Ingleton, Kirkbymoorside, Leyburn, Pateley Bridge, Scalby, Settle, Sherburn, Starbeck, Stokesley, Tadcaster and Thirsk.

The council would continue to provide a Home Library Service for people who have difficulty reaching a library.

A series of consultation events will be happening across the county in local libraries in during November and December.