A survey by the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy (CIPFA) has found that Cheshire East features as the top unitary authority for the number of library books loaned per 1,000 population (4,876), number one in the North West and fifth in the whole of the UK.
One town – Macclesfield – is recognised as the busiest in the borough, with 226,643 visits and more than 296,600 issues. Cheshire East boasts 17 libraries, including a mobile library, and collectively loaned 1.84 million items. Eleven of the borough’s libraries are open for 30 hours or more each week, with two libraries – Crewe and Macclesfield – open for longer than 45 hours. The service also ranks highly for the number of volunteers (229) it employs.
The CIPFA survey is the recognised authoritative analysis of the country’s library service, looking into books issued, closures, spending and investment. Despite a challenging financial climate, Cheshire East Council has managed to keep all its libraries operating, helping residents with information, services, assistance with ICT, reading and entertainment.
