COUNCILLORS have made a number of recommendations for the future of Plymouth Schools Library Service.

The service currently operates in 81 per cent of Plymouth schools but in the light of the rising number of academies, councillors expressed concern at the sustainability of the service.

They were told in a children's and young people scrutiny meeting that up to two schools a year drop out of the service.

At present, schools are offered the choice of packages when using the service for their libraries.

Assistant city librarian, Sally Walsh, told the councillors: "We offer schools a light or standard package as well as e-learning packages. The light package consists of two thirds of the number of books schools would receive in a standard package."

Ms Walsh was then asked how the service would fare over the next three years as the majority of schools are expected to filter into self-sufficient academies.

"My view is that the confidence our customers have, as a service that will continue, but we have been losing one or two schools every year," Ms Walsh explained.

She explained that if a school said they wanted to pull out of the scheme, a visit would be arranged to speak to teachers.

"We do go to the school and speak to them about it but the feedback we have had from schools is that it is either the service or a member of staff," she added.

Having established that the service received £8,000 of funding each year, chairman of the meeting, councillor Nicky Wildy, suggested the service could apply for small business status to help with the funding.

She also said: "I'm worried that if a budget review says next year you won't get your £8,000, you will then fold because that would be a real loss."

But Ms Wildy also expressed concern that schools in socially deprived areas could not afford access to the service.

"If it's not serving all our schools I'm not sure I want our children's services money going on it," she added.

It was agreed that an update of the library services would be scheduled for a later meeting where Ms Wildy requested a list of schools not using the service be collected for analysis.