DOZENS of librarians across Hampshire could lose their jobs and the county's book fund may be slashed as library bosses struggle with a £500,000 overspend.

The county council is looking at cutting around one third of 80 professional librarian posts and other senior manager jobs in branches and the library service HQ at North Walls in Winchester in an attempt to save £1m a year.

County councillor Margaret Snaith the council's executive member for recreation and heritage has earmarked £250,000 from the £2m book fund as a contingency reserve if her department fails to break even by April - meaning 25,000 fewer new books on library shelves.

However, the Tory led authority has said that none of the county's 54 library branches are threatened with closure, nor will opening hours be reduced.

Library bosses say some of the £1m saved will be reinvested in improving the service such as extended Sunday openings.

The cash crisis is being blamed partly on a drop in income from library CD and DVD rental income. The service has also had to find £250,000 towards a new county council "contact centre''.

In future, people will call at the Fareham based centre instead of their local library to renew books and make other inquiries.

The proposed cutbacks have been condemned by opposition councillors and unions.

Lib Dem spokesman for recreation and heritage said the cutbacks were a "double whammy".

He said: "Many librarians have given years of service to Hampshire and now, at a stroke, we will lose that expertise and knowledge. It is one cut too far."

However, Yinnon Ezra, the council's director of recreation and heritage said Hampshire had the highest number of professional librarians relative to the size of the service of any council.

He said: "It is a bold strategy but designed at the end of the day to protect the service."