Council Seeks Views on How Libraries Should Operate
Plans for extended unstaffed hours will lead to major changes in service
Left: Brentford Library. Right: Osterley Library
October 16, 2026
Hounslow Council is asking residents for their views on a major shift in how its libraries and community hubs could operate, with a new survey now open and in-person engagement events taking place this month. The proposal would introduce self-access technology across the borough’s 11 Community Hubs and Libraries, allowing registered users to enter buildings outside staffed hours, including evenings and weekends, while sites are monitored remotely by CCTV.
Council officers will be available to discuss the plans at Osterley Library on 19 October (11am–1pm) and Brentford Library on 20 October (11am–1pm). Residents can also take part online by completing the survey at talk.hounslow.gov.uk.
The consultation follows earlier Cabinet papers outlining a £1.2 million programme to modernise buildings, install new access systems and significantly extend opening hours without increasing staffing levels. Under the model, libraries would retain a core of conventional staffed hours, but large portions of the week would switch to unstaffed, self-access periods for library card holders.
Hounslow Council estimates that self-access could add up to 19,000 extra opening hours a year.
However, the extended access comes alongside a reduction in staffed time. The financial case for the programme relies on delivering £405,000 in annual savings by 2028/29, partly through “workforce efficiencies” such as vacancy management and reduced reliance on temporary staff. For residents who depend on librarians and hub advisors — whether for digital support, safe study space or help navigating services — the window for guaranteed assistance would shrink.
The Council acknowledges several risks associated with unstaffed buildings, including safety, insurance implications and the need for detailed site-specific assessments. It also notes that changes to staff roles and working patterns will require careful consultation with unions. Public concern about reduced staff presence is listed as a reputational risk, to be managed through engagement.
If Cabinet approves the proposals, engagement will run through summer and autumn 2026, shaping how each site balances staffed and self-access hours. Building upgrades are expected to begin in January 2027, with the first self-access libraries going live from April 2027 and a full rollout continuing to September 2027.
For now, Hounslow is asking residents to help shape the future of the service — whether they welcome longer hours, have concerns about safety, or want to protect staffed provision by completing a survey.
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