Whilst the Council has a new Library Strategy, we have found some shortcomings in its development. There has been limited engagement with both staff and communities. The Council also does not have a delivery plan setting out how it will implement and monitor the strategy. This is crucial given the medium-term financial challenges facing the Council. Performance against the Welsh Public Library Standards (WPLS) has improved, but the 2024-25 WPLS report continues to raise concerns about staffing levels, opening hours and impact on service users. It concludes that the service will take a number of years to recover from the challenges it has faced. The Council has understandably focused on supporting staff as the service was brought back into the Council’s control. Staff were positive about this support. We recognise that the Council is in the early stages of taking forward its strategy. We have developed recommendations which are intended to help the Council strengthen its arrangements to support the delivery of the service. We will be looking to see the Council progress these over the next 6-12 months to give us greater confidence that it has arrangements for securing economy, efficiency, and effectiveness in the use of its resources.