OPENING hours at Wiltshire’s libraries are to be reduced as part of cuts by Wiltshire Council.

Apart from Wootton Bassett library, which will see its hours increase by 30 minutes to 40 a week, all the county’s libraries will have reduced hours.

And 10 of the smallest, including the library in Lyneham, will stay open only if volunteers come forward. Otherwise the libraries will be replaced by the mobile library service for three hours per week.

The hope is that volunteers will help out at the larger libraries to boost their hours. No redundancies are planned. The proposals will save £505,000 over two years while £546,500 is to be spent on automated machines for customers to scan their books.