Tasmania's Education Minster Jo Palmer says opening hours at state libraries will not be slashed, despite claims regional library staff are being told alternative work exists elsewhere.
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According to the Community and Public Sector Union, there are 14 regional libraries set to get their opening hours slashed, including Beaconsfield, Sheffield and Rosebery.
CPSU industrial Natalie Jones said Libraries Tasmania staff who will be impacted by the changes had already been told they could pick up additional working hours at other libraries.
But on Friday Ms Palmer strongly rejected any suggestion that Libraries Tasmania would be open less, stating that the total library opening hours across Tasmania would not be cut.
"The Tasmanian government will not be cutting library hours," Ms Palmer said.
"In fact, the review was looking into options around opening some libraries over the weekends so there is even more access."
Her rejection comes after the education department confirmed that a review into the opening hours of all 46 Libraries Tasmania's regional and city locations is underway, with the aim of seeing whether libraries can open outside of the current 9am to 5 pm hours.
The spokesperson said any proposed changes would allow libraries in Launceston and Hobart to open across the weekends, but that no final decisions about opening hours had been made.
Changes at a time when library investment needed
Latest Libraries Tasmania annual reports reveal a 24 per cent increase in library membership, with more than 16,000 new members signing up last year.
Greens education spokesperson Vica Bayley said greater investment in Libraries Tasmania was needed.
He said libraries helped to support the profound literacy and education challenges in Tasmania.
"We have seen an outpouring of community outrage, and rightly so. Public libraries are critical public infrastructure in a community with low levels of literacy, limited alternative access to computers and internet, and ever increasing cost of living challenges."
The suspected move by the government to reduce regional library hours may highlight a greater risk to community services across Tasmania.
Greens community services spokesperson Cecily Rosol said concerns were held about tightening of government funding in the service sector.
"Thanks to the public sector union the community have now found out about plans to cut the opening hours of libraries. Given the government weren't up front up about this decision, it's fair to wonder if there are any other areas where they're looking to penny pinch."
