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services for a small town. It’s the only public place in Dartmouth where you can print, scan or photocopy documents. It provides free access to computers and WiFi, and through the BorrowBox app residents can read eBooks, listen to audiobooks or browse newspa- pers and magazines at no cost. The library also supports local health and wellbeing.


Families can attend baby weighing sessions that save them from long journeys elsewhere and residents can borrow blood pressure monitors to check their health at home - a small but valuable service in a town with limited access to healthcare facilities. Children’s activities remain at the heart of the


library’s work. Weekly Bounce and Rhyme sessions, storytelling events, Lego Club, board games, holiday craft activities and reading challenges such as the Secret Book Quest and Summer Book Quest all depend on staff time and consistent opening hours. Much of this work would be at risk if the library were reduced to a bare-bones service. Dartmouth’s geography makes the proposals


particularly concerning. While Totnes and Ivybridge are expected to operate as hub libraries with longer hours, travelling there without a car can take much of a day - an unrealistic option for many residents. It’s also worth remembering that Dartmouth


Library is a charity. While it receives some local authority funding, it also depends on fundraising and


community support to keep services running. Although the formal consultation has closed, there


are still ways to stand up for the library: by using it, talking about it, contacting local decision-makers and helping with fundraising. Anyone interested in supporting or organising fundraising efforts is encouraged to get involved. “This is more than a library,” Elena says. “It’s a


community space. The more support people show, the better chance we have of keeping as many services and opening hours as possible for Dartmouth.”


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