LIBRARIES in Buckinghamshire would fail new Government Ofsted-style inspections which are due to be introduced.

County libraries have a very good reputation but would have too few professional staff and open for too few hours to pass the new test.

County lifelong learning director John Whitter: 'On our figures for today, we would fail.

'One of the points is opening hours, and we would have to improve by ten to 15 per cent to reach the average on this.

'Another point is professional staff. Twenty per cent of our staff are professional librarians. The Government standard is 29 per cent.

'We need a range of skills, and some of them are not within the remit of a professional librarian. There is a space where we are well below the standard of ideal libraries.'

He told the education committee last Wednesday that Ofsted inspectors from the Department of Education were planning to extend their operations to libraries.

Mr Whitter said: 'The performance of Bucks' libraries has always been at the top. That is still the case.'

But he added the Government suggested performance should be improved over the next three years.

Ofsted inspectors have recently put four Bucks schools, including Hatters Lane in High Wycombe, and The Amersham School at Amersham under 'special measures', which demand change and improvement, or closure.