LIBRARY lovers have condemned Kirklees Council’s consultation into volunteer-led libraries.

The council has earmarked seven local libraries as suitable for being run by volunteer community groups from April 2013.

They are Denby Dale, Shepley, Honley, Golcar, Slaithwaite, Lepton and Kirkheaton.

The council is inviting interested groups and individuals to have their say with a six week consultation process at each library.

Consultations have already begun at Golcar and Slaithwaite.

Ahead of the May 5 consultation launch in Denby Dale, dozens of campaigners against the proposal attended a meeting with ward councillors and Kirklees Council’s libraries manager, Kathryn Harrison, to voice their views on the plan.

Many complained the consultation was not offering them any choices.

Bev Millington from Friends of Denby Dale Library (FODDL), said: “We’re frustrated as we don’t know what the framework is and what they’re trying to achieve by what date? People are unsure about what’s going to happen after the six week consultation process.”

FODDL founder, Biddy Fisher, said she thought the whole library service should be reviewed instead of focusing on cutting funding to seven village libraries.

She said: “There’s huge willingness in Denby Dale to try and find a solution to not losing the library as a building.