Council turns the page on newspapers in Hertfordshire's libraries in move towards digital

For years, residents have been able to pop into their local library and pore over the pages of national newspapers.

But now the only way to access the publications at the county’s network of libraries is on a computer screen.

That’s because council officials have opted to no longer buy the papers – but to subscribe digitally instead.

They say that as well as offering better value for money, the digital publications are more accessible – with digital services equipped with technology to increase the text size of the articles, as required.

And they say readers can access past copies as well as the newspaper of the day.

Copies of some monthly “leisure magazines” – Good Housekeeping, Railway, Good Food and Running – can still be borrowed for up to a week from the county’s libraries.

But, say officials, the titles available will vary depending on the size of library and will be adjusted according to usage.

The council’s decision came to light in the wake of a meeting of the full council last week, when Labour Cllr Ellie Plater asked why newspapers and magazines had been removed from libraries across Hertfordshire.

At the meeting executive member for education, libraries and lifelong learning Cllr Caroline Clapper pointed to the continued access to newspapers and magazines in the coumty’s libraries.

“We haven’t removed newspapers and magazines from all of our Hertfordshire libraries – we are still making sure there is access,” she said.

“A lot of that access these days is by digital means, because a lot of people access those titles and those periodicals digitally.

“We are working with residents who aren’t used to using the digital materials so that they are able to access them.

“And it means we are able to access even more titles and have more flexibility within that.

“We want to make sure people can access as much as they want in libraries – whether they are books periodicals or newspapers – and also help them along the digital journey.”

But in the wake of the meeting the county council confirmed that physical copies of newspapers were no longer available.

Following the meeting a statement issue to the Local Democracy Service by the county council confirmed that since September (2024) they had no longer provided ‘hard-copy’ newspapers or magazines “for reference purposes”.

And they said they now provided this service through PressReader, which they said offers “a wide range of digital newspapers and magazines”, including local, national and international titles in more than 50 languages.

In addition, says the statement from the county council, libraries provide access to hundreds of current and back copy of digital magazines through Libby.

And it says: “With more publications moving mainly or exclusively online, and with the demand for eNewspapers and eMagazines more than doubling over the last four years, we believe that this provides the service that library users want in the most effective and efficient way.”