LIBRARY campaigners are pressing for Bournemouth, Dorset and Poole to merge their library service managers, saving up to £250,000 and sparing 20 rural libraries threatened with closure.

On Thursday Dorset County Council will consider library closure proposals in light of a 13,000-strong petition and hear of discussions with Borough of Poole and Borough of Bournemouth managers about “shared working” to make further savings. No decisions have yet been made.

But the Association of the Friends of Dorset Libraries, Ad Lib, says Dorset Library Service’s three top managers cost £187,000 a year and estimate at least £200,000 would be saved if the different services – which only split 12 years ago – combined their highest posts. Spokesman Mike Chaney said: “If they could some way or another slide the three together and put four people in charge.

“The government, in particular libraries minister Ed Vaizey, is pressing for authorities not to cut libraries until they’ve exhausted all the ‘back office’ savings they can.

“Municipal pride might mean people in Bournemouth and Poole don’t like the thought of joining with Dorset, but nobody would suffer.

We’d all be better off. It seemed to work pretty well before so we shouldn’t have any fears now. If such a huge sum can be saved why not go back to that economical system?

“All we want to do is save enough to preserve the much-loved village libraries.”

The county council proposes replacing the 20 rural libraries with mobile libraries and online services in order to save £816,800.

If councillors pass the budget, a public consultation will begin and community groups could take over shut libraries.