Dismay at library layout disruption

Brighton and Hove City Council's culture and tourism committee voted yesterday in favour of a new arrangement of stock following refurbishment at Hove library in Church Road.

A survey of local residents found the majority wanted to keep the layout the same but councillors decided to swap the locations of the non-fiction section and the music library.

The committee was split down the middle, with four Conservatives and one Green voting to keep the old layout and three Labour and one Liberal Democrat voting to change it. Chairwoman Sue John cast the deciding vote in favour of the change.

Library users say the upstairs floor of Hove library, where the reference section, reading room, local history and music collections are currently located, is much-loved for its atmosphere of tranquillity and quiet study.

They fear this would be ruined by the relocation of the non-fiction lending section there, meaning people will be frequently walking back and forth and checking books in and out.

Sally McMahon, Brighton and Hove libraries manager, said the music library, particularly with its new addition of DVDs, had a potentially noisy and more lively atmosphere and was thus better suited to the ground floor.

She said: "The upper floor is a historic place that should be respected and we believe this is the best option for doing that.

"This will help maintain a more traditional feel to the upper floor."

Locating non-fiction with the reference section would give a special focus on books and information upstairs and a dedicated help desk with knowledgeable staff would enhance that.

But writer Christopher Hawtree, who set up Friends Of Hove Library two years ago to save the building, said: "I feel like I have wasted two years of my life.

"The upper floor is a historic place with a special feel that is loved dearly by many people.

"The tranquillity and quietness of the place make it like a sanctuary. People will be profoundly disappointed with this decision."