The Highland Council and High Life Highland have announced the purchase of two new mobile libraries, with the vehicles being ready to hit the road this summer.
Mobile libraries are a crucial part of community life throughout the Highlands, but an aging fleet has made mobile library provision challenging for some time. The Highland Council and High Life Highland work in collaboration to provide the mobile library service with The Council providing and maintaining the vehicles and High Life Highland operating the service.
The local authority has spent £332,000 on purchasing two new vehicles – including conversion works and signwriting, etc – which will be deployed in the north and west where a temporary delivery service has been in operation. The chassis are due to be delivered from IVECO next month and will then be fitted out at Cebotec in Falkirk before going operational in the summer.
High Life Highland Chief Executive Steve Walsh said: “We are absolutely delighted to be able to share this news with all those communities who rely on the mobile library service. The purchase of new vehicles by The Highland Council means that a proper service will be reinstated to all our customers this summer. This is brilliant news for the communities who have waited patiently for so long and we thank them for their understanding during this period.
“Given the financial challenges facing local authorities and some of the proposals with regards to library closures elsewhere in the country I hope that our customers in these communities will be reassured that The Highland Council and High Life Highland are committed to investing in and futureproofing the service.”
Education Committee Chair, Cllr John Finlayson said: “A £332,000 Investment by The Highland Council has been made to secure two new mobile library vehicles.
“The Highland Council in partnership with High Life Highland remain committed to offering communities this vital library service, and we thank all those that work to ensure they can resume visiting communities as soon as possible.”
