CAMPAIGNERS have vowed to continue the fight to save libraries as the decision on their future was referred to full council.

People gathered at Hendon Town Hall last night where councillors were due to make drastic changes to the service, including £2.27m of cuts.

But despite pleas to defer the vote until a glitch affecting library IT systems is fixed, five councillors voted to send it higher.

Before the meeting, protestors chanted ‘whose books? our books’ and ‘save Barnet libraries’ outside Hendon town hall and urged councillors to vote with their consciences.

Barbara Jacobson was the first campaigner to address the committee and spoke out against unstaffed libraries, which the authority say could help save the service.

She said: “There is so much information that is missing.

“The library staff that will be there will be working and will not have time to help others, and when there are no staff or volunteers, there will be hours where no help is available.

“The report says 100 volunteers will be needed for the libraries, but where will these be sought?"

The unstaffed libraries will not include toilets.

Disabled pensioner Maria Nash also addressed the committee and reminded them that Barnet Council should have the 2014 Care Act in place across the borough.

Ms Nash said: “People who are disabled, elderly people and people with learning difficulties need a library and ned to use toilets.

“People with learning difficulties need a librarian to assist them. If you change the libraries, it is not good enough for your duty to the community.”

When vice-chairman of the committee, Cllr Bridget Perry, asked about library facilities an officer said :"People will have to organise their time accordingly."

Officers noted they had amended the report following public consultation and have new ideas that could ease the campaigners’ worries.

These including installing a £75,000 CCTV system and increase the age limit of children who can use the library unaccompanied to Year 11 students.

As well as facilities for users, campaigners also raised the issue of study space and questioned whether there would be more space and enough computers for everyone.

An officer said the library does not provide specific study space and the number of computers would decrease due to costs.

The recent IT system failure was also mentioned, andcampaigners previously told the Times Series this is a "sign of things to come".

Vubis crashed nearly two weeks ago during an update which has taken the online catalogue and the e-library system offline, meaning people cannot renew books and the council could be losing up to £200 a day in fines.

Labour Cllr Anne Hutton, who represents Woodhouse, suggested the vote be deferred until the system is repaired, but her proposal was turned down.

Councillors voted five to four in taking the decision to a higher authority at a full Barnet council meeting.

This will take palce on April 4.