The closure of the Arona municipal library network ignited a fierce political dispute in the town yesterday. The socialist faction in the town hall accuses the current administration (comprising PP, CC, and Más por Arona) of mismanagement and a lack of foresight regarding the library services, while the ruling party attributes it to excessive employment of temporary staff. The libraries affected include those in Los Cristianos, Cabo Blanco, La Camella, Valle San Lorenzo, and El Fraile.
According to socialist councillors Haridian Cruz and Ruth Lorenzo, the Culture councillor, Javier Baute (PP), “has not adequately organised the continuity of the service,” despite being aware that the agreements ensuring the library staff were set to expire. The councillors criticise that, rather than seeking a resolution, the closure occurred without prior notification and was only communicated to users via a note affixed to the library doors. They assert that this situation particularly impacts students and candidates who rely on these facilities and their resources.
Cruz and Lorenzo also remind that the socialist group had previously raised concerns about this issue in a motion presented last November, highlighting the precarious state of the service and requesting the exclusive commitment of the Culture Councillor. They lament that no preventive actions were taken.
In defence, Javier Baute supported the actions of the Cultural Board, clarifying that the staff shortage “is a longstanding issue, reliant on temporary workers under employment contracts to sustain the service.” He asserted that this is the principal reason behind the closure of this municipal service.
THE SAME ISSUE FOR A DECADE
The head of the department maintains that the staff shortages in libraries “are not a recent development. For the past ten years, we have been employing temporary staff via employment contracts to alleviate the shortages, which has led to the municipal libraries being closed for several months each year. We recognise that these solutions are merely temporary,” he remarked, while insisting that this situation warrants “a permanent resolution.”
Consequently, as he has indicated, the local government intends to establish permanent librarian positions, something he claims was overlooked in previous terms. “We anticipate that, shortly, we will have resolved this issue and provided a definitive solution.”
Two years prior, Coalición Canaria, now in power, had already criticised the closure of the Los Cristianos library while the PSOE was managing the City Council.
“an ineffective and inadequate environment”
A student who regularly visits this study and reading facility in one of the primary tourist areas voiced complaints to DIARIO DE AVISOS regarding the “growing overcrowding and decline in service quality over the years.” According to him, the space becomes “completely overcrowded” during examination periods, rendering it “ineffective and inadequate.” “I have been studying here for a decade, since my high school days. Many students prefer to do their assignments in a library or prepare for exams rather than at home.
In recent years, there has been an almost daily struggle to find a study spot,” he explains.
The student cautions that, with less than four days remaining before the academic year begins, this situation could pose serious challenges for local students who rely on the library as an essential hub for their educational preparation.
