Housebound people in Conwy could lose a service that sees library books delivered to them by council staff.

Members of the county’s finance and scrutiny committee will meet on Wednesday to discuss plans that could see the mobile and home library service amalgamated.

As part of the changes, some housebound residents would be asked to have family members pick up books for them.

Councillors will be presented with three options for the service, including sticking with the current service, withdrawing it altogether, or amalgamation.

A report to the committee said amalgamation would “provide a future-proofed, more cost effective service, by focusing mobile library provision in communities which are amongst the most deprived in Wales for access to services”.

The mobile library brings books, audio books and information to communities throughout Conwy.

It currently makes 120 stops, calling at each stop every four weeks.

According to the report, despite increasing the number of stops in 2013, visits to the mobile library have remained fairly constant over the past five years, with 6,338 visits in 2017/18.

It said: “Some stops have only one or no regular customers. Annual book loans in 2017/18 were 20,180 – a 17% decrease over five years. The mobile library vehicle is now 13 years old, is uneconomic to run and needs replacing.”

The cost of providing the mobile library service in 2017/18 was £36,240, or £5.72 per visit, compared with the net cost of £2.41 per visit across Conwy’s libraries.

The home library service provides library services to residents who, due to age or infirmity, are unable to access a library directly or use the mobile library. The home service has 141 people using it.

The cost of the home library service in 2017/18 was £27,548.74, or £16 per visit.

This option of amalgamation, according to a top councillor, would protect the future of the service.

Cllr Mark Baker, the cabinet member responsible for culture and heritage said: “The preferred option, to amalgamate the home and mobile library services, will ensure that we continue to provide library and information services to home library customers and also to communities which are remote from library buildings and which are amongst the most deprived in Wales for access to services. This option will also ensure the sustainability of our mobile library services during a challenging financial climate.”