PEOPLE are coming up with innovative suggestions to make more use of village libraries – including Sunday openings.

Kirklees Council is currently looking at the feedback from public consultation after they proposed – and then rejected – plans for volunteers to run eight village libraries.

The Sunday opening is just one of several ideas people are coming up with to attract more people into rural libraries.

Residents at the Colne Valley Area Committee were told council officers were considering the possibilities.

Salma Dad, of Kirklees Libraries, said the key areas they were looking at are: opening hours, income generation, access and Friends groups.

She said: “The consultation has shown us that there is not the local appetite for groups to run the libraries, but there was a lot of support for people wanting to support their library through a Friends group.”

The consultation found that more than 20 people attended a meeting to form a Friends group for Golcar Library, which is underway.

At Slaithwaite Library 18 people put their names forward to form a Friends group, with 12 doing the same for Marsden Library, with groups yet to be formed.

Opening hours are also being reviewed as a result of the feedback.

Clr Donna Bellamy, a Colne Valley Conservative member, who lives in Marsden, said: “Sunday opening in Marsden is something I would back, especially with the Tourist Information Centre being there and it’s a day we get a lot of visitors.”

Other ideas being explored were for a cafe or refreshments, which would attract people and generate income.

A suggestion, made by a Slaithwaite resident, was to relocate the town’s library into the town hall.

Clr Nicola Turner, a Colne Valley Lib Dem member, said of the suggestion: “There are some positive and some negative aspects of that. There is a car park at the town hall but it’s further out of town centre.

“It’s only an idea – it will go back to full consultation if it’s to be taken further.”

Salma Dad told residents a number of “quick wins” had already been introduced and Marsden Library had a new sign with clearer opening times on it. The space has also been redesigned.

Library staff were able to help with more council work, such as blue badge applications.