VILLAGERS have defied the national spending squeeze by setting up their own community library, stocked with 1,000 donated books and staffed by 60 volunteers.

With Oxfordshire County Council lacking the cash to set up a library branch in Cholsey, near Wallingford, residents decided to do it themselves.

And the county council says that existing council-run libraries could be handed over to other neighbourhoods to operate in the same way.

Cholsey Community Library, stocked with books donated by residents and bought with money raised by village fundraisers, is set to open on Saturday, October 23.

Villager Mark Gray, who has overseen the project, said: “We have a great hall in the centre of the village, which is already a community centre, and we were thinking of ways to try to attract more people to the building when the idea of a library came up.

“We worked with the library service at Oxfordshire County Council for two years, but because of cuts, they didn’t feel they could progress it any further.

“We decided that, rather than let all that good work die, we’d try to do it ourselves. The response has been phenomenal.”

Cholsey Beer Festival, local fund-raising group Cholsey 1,000-plus, and the parish council have all backed the project, raising £1,000 towards running costs and new stock.

The shelves were also given for free by nearby Cranford House School, Moulsford, which was refitting its own library.

And with Government policy advisers suggesting neighbourhoods should take over the running of local services, the volunteers say they got there first. Mr Gray said: “When people say ‘Big Society’, I say we were there first, as were other community groups. It’s a case of politicians catching up with what is already going on.”

Asked whether other libraries could soon be run the same way, Oxfordshire County Council spokesman Marcus Mabberley said: “The council would consider the idea, but no decisions have been made.”

The village’s MP Ed Vaizey, who, as Culture Minister is responsible for libraries nationally, said Cholsey was leading the way in showing other communities across Britain how similar centres could be run.

He said: “A com-munity-led service like this will not work everywhere and we don’t see it as a substitute for county council-run library services, but it’s brilliant that so many people have given their time and effort. Knowing Cholsey as I do, I’m sure it will be a success.”

In a speech outlining his vision of ‘The Big Society’ in Liverpool in July, Prime Minister David Cameron promised “new powers for local communities to take over the running of parks, libraries and post offices.”

But volunteers in Cholsey say they are one step ahead.

  • The library, in the School Room of the Free Church, in Honey Lane, will open weekdays, 2pm to 5pm and Saturdays, 10am to 1pm.