Campaigners have been busy fighting to save Welshpool Library during Libraries Week, with signatures being collected in local businesses and online.

The fight to save the Powys town’s library comes after plans to relocate it within Powysland Museum were revealed by the council.

The campaigners behind the petition ultimately want to save the library, but are also unhappy with the way in which the county council has dealt with the matter – without consulting the people of Welshpool.

Paper petitions were placed in more than 35 businesses in the town last week, and people have been out on the streets collecting signatures too. On Monday morning 60 signatures were collected outside the library.

Brian Timmis, who created paper petition, said: “We want some openness from our county council because this was decided last April and it wasn’t leaked we wouldn’t even know.”

Brian and other campaigners are calling for Powys Council Council to have an open discussion and meeting with the people of Welshpool about the plans.

An online petition was set up on Wednesday, October 10, by Laura Bartley from Trefnanney, after Brian called for someone tech-savvy to set up a digital version. She was waiting for someone else to set up the petition, but when she realised that wasn’t happening, she took it upon herself.

“I knew it needed to be online to reach more people,” she said.

Laura said: “The council seem to be doing these really short term money saving ideas. I don’t see how it’s going to benefit people long term. They need to come up with more creative ideas, no one I know has said it’s a good idea.”

Laura also said that it was “ironic” that the plans have hit the news during National Libraries Week and that the council making decisions behind closed doors was “insulting to everyone who uses the library”.

It was rumoured that this week library staff would be informed about redundancies. However, Powys County Council said that they are yet to start a staff consultation period, but that it will begin shortly, and is likely to last six weeks.

Paper petitions are located in local businesses across Welshpool and online on Change.org.