ALMOST £680,000 worth of books haven't been return to cash-strapped Bradford libraries which are also owed £115,000 in fines.

A whopping 92,428 books are currently overdue across the district's 31 libraries, with 29,790 of those overdue by more than 12 weeks and 32,347 books are overdue by more than five weeks.

Ten titles have been missing since April 2004.

The estimated value of all the 92,428 outstanding books, based on an average book price, is thought to be £679,345.80.

But despite the shortfall, the councillor with responsibility for libraries said it was only a tiny fraction of the overall stock.

Councillor Susan Hinchcliffe said: "With 1.2 million items out on loan at any one time across the Bradford district, the number of overdue books represents a very small percentage.

"However the library team will always chase overdue books. Fines are imposed because we want Bradfordians to have access to the full choice of books on offer. If it's not on the shelf, it can't be borrowed."

Bradford Council is currently consulting on budget plans which would mean more libraries were run by communities.

Its proposal says: "A number of the district’s libraries have already successfully moved to community management and other parts of the country have seen large elements of the branch library network run by local volunteers.

"The proposal is to accelerate progress in the district, remove £150,000 of the ongoing libraries budget and replace it with support over two years from the Transitional Reserve in order to assist the move towards increased community management of branch libraries."

COMMENT: YOUR DUTY TO RETURN THAT LIBRARY BOOK

It adds that there will be further consultation with users for proposals to transfer to other forms of community management.

The local authority intends to have combined six libraries with other services within a year of 2015/16 and transfer four to community management within two years.

Addingham, Denholme, Wilsden and Wrose libraries are already run by the community.

The newest library in the district, City Library which opened to replace the Central Library, marked its first anniversary last month.

The new site, in the former Bradford 1 Gallery in City Park, opened in December 2013 after the old Central Library building was forced to shut due to being deemed a fire risk by health safety bosses.

Another of the district's newest public libraries, Bolling Hall Library, opened in Bolling Hall museum two years ago this month.

It was a replacement for the former East Bowling Library on nearby Flockton Road which closed down at the beginning of 2012.

In Bradford library fines are 15p per book, per day, up to a maximum of £10, with no charges for under-16s and pensioners. Fines can be waived in certain circumstances, such as staff error, illness or in an amnesty .

People can have their say online at the Council's website about the budget proposals.

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