A MAJOR review of library services in Carmarthenshire is needed to decide what it delivers in future, councillors heard.

Rob Sully, director of Carmarthenshire Council's education and children's services department, responsible for the county's libraries, said the increasing use of computers was altering the nature of what they needed to provide.

Mr Sully told councillors: "The service is now at a real threshold in terms of understanding what we mean by a library service for the long-term.

"Given the economic climate and difficult discussions around the nature of the library service over the past couple of years, my view is that we need to undertake a full financial review of where we are.

"The provision of access to information is entirely different to what it was when the library service came into being.

"Within the service, staff have been trying to develop it in piecemeal fashion. My view is the service needs to move in a different direction which is well understood."

He hoped a group of councillors could conduct that review in the next financial year.

Councillor Peter Hughes Griffiths, leader of the Plaid group, said: "I agree entirely with the director. We need to know what the library service is about, be it an IT service or a book service."

But Mr Hughes Griffiths said the review should take place in the context of the authority being expected to work more closely with neighbouring authorities.

Independent councillor Hugh Richards said people went to the library for a variety of reasons, including to read the newspapers. But he added: "The way forward in my view is certainly the PCs."

Another Independent, Councillor Mair Stephens, appealed for all members of the council to be included in the review.

"We all have something close to us," she said.

The discussion came as the education and children's services committee met to discuss a report on the library service's performance in the last financial year.

The report showed the council had met 10 of 14 standards required by the Welsh Government. Other councils achieved between six and 14 standards, with the average being nine.

Carmarthenshire took 12 years to replace books, against a target of 7.6 years, but the committee heard the county had a wider range of material than many other authorities.