The Family Library in Douglas has announced plans to close its doors permanently later this year.

However, it has issued a heartfelt plea to the Manx public in a last-ditch attempt to save the much-loved facility and its associated services.

In a statement released by the charity’s three directors, it was confirmed that all services, including the Children’s Library, Mobile Library Bus, Home Delivery Service and Bibliotherapy sessions, are due to cease operation on Thursday, July 31.

A statement from the Westmoreland Road facility’s board said: ‘It is with regret that, after 14 years of operating as a charity, the Family Library is planning to close at the end of the day on, July 31, 2025.

‘Over a number of years, the costs of running the services have been increasing and the income declining.

‘This has reached a point that the deficit in operational funding is of the order of £100,000 each year and the directors have decided this is no longer tenable.’

They described the decision as especially painful given the organisation is marking the 100th anniversary of rural library services in the Isle of Man, the forerunner of today’s mobile service.

The Family Library was originally part of the Isle of Man Government’s public library provision but was one of several services cut in 2011 following the loss of a share of VAT income from the UK.

It has since operated as an independent charity, supported by donations and limited public funding.

A five-year government funding agreement was introduced in 2022 to help support the charity while it worked to find new income streams.

That agreement began with a grant of £125,000 and will taper down to £65,000 by August 2026 - a year and a month after the scheduled closure date.

The library has more than 2,000 subscribers and continues to offer a wide variety of services for people of all ages.

These include home book deliveries for the housebound, a large mobile library that visits communities across the island, and Bibliotherapy sessions - monthly group activities that help people, particularly those with memory difficulties, reconnect with memories through storytelling and shared reading.

In total, the charity issues more than 37,000 books and resources each year, including audio books and DVDs, many to vulnerable or isolated members of society.

In its public appeal, the Family Library is urging supporters to contact their MHKs, spread awareness on social media, visit the service in person, and consider making a donation or fundraising effort.

‘We thank all of our users and benefactors over the years for their support and allowing us to facilitate the great experiences and services that we have maintained,’ the directors added.

Full details of how to support the campaign to save the Family Library can be found on the organisation’s website and social media pages.