Dear Editor

In response to the letter ‘Listening out for more cuts’ (Western Telegraph, March 25th), could I point out that Fishguard library has not had a CD collection since 2002?

Haverfordwest and Tenby libraries both recently removed CDs from the open shelves as hardly any items were being issued and the collection was out of date.

The reasons for this are a continued decline in issue figures and the increasing popularity of music downloads from the internet.

Instead, financial resources have been channelled into buying books on CD and DVDs, which are increasing in popularity.

The CDs being taken off the open shelves are still listed on the library’s catalogue and can be requested by users, although no new CDs are being purchased.

Far from withdrawing resources from the library service, Pembrokeshire County Council has recently invested more than £750,000 in a new library management system and refurbishing and rebuilding Fishguard, Tenby, Neyland, Pembroke and Pembroke Dock libraries. Further investment is due in Milford Haven in 2009.
Cllr Rob Lewis
Cabinet member for cultural services
Pembrokeshire County Council.

* Editor’s note: The original letter referred to the CD collection at Haverfordwest library, not Fishguard library, as printed. The Western Telegraph is happy to clarify this.