LIBRARIES in Somerset threatened with closure will discover their fate on Tuesday week (October 16).

The financially stretched county council, which is considering shutting some libraries and making changes at others to save money, ran a consultation from January to June, attracting more than 7,000 responses with nearly 13,000 comments.

A report detailing the findings of that exercise is being published ahead of the authority's scrutiny committee for policy and place on October 24.

Cllr David Hall, cabinet member at County Hall with responsibility for libraries, said: "It is clear that library services are valued across Somerset.

"Even in these tough financial times, we remain committed to delivering a strong, thriving library service whilst living within our means.

"Where a change to the existing library service is proposed, we encourage communities to continue talking with us."

The report will detail the evidence of the need for library services and potential impacts of any change and will include feedback from the consultation and set out how the council will continue to ensure there is reasonable access to library services.

The council's cabinet committee will make its final decision on November 5.

For those libraries where a change to existing services is proposed, a community library partnership expression of interest invitation will be issued to identified interested parties on October 16, with the completion deadline of midday on November 15.