Thirty-nine libraries in Birmingham, UK face closure this year. But after years of negotiation, city council bosses are close to finalizing a staff cooperative plan that could save the libraries.

A move to the cooperative plan could aid with the £69 million budget cuts throughout Birmingham, according to Neil Elkes of the Birmingham Mail. It’s not a perfect solution: library staff may lose working hours, or their positions altogether.

Ian Ward, a Labor deputy leader, said it was “very likely” this deal would come through, saving the libraries, though it will not be in place before the elections on May 7. “The service to the public will remain,” he added.

As we’ve mentioned here before, 337 libraries have closed since the coalition government has been in power. Book loans have fallen by 20%.

Spring Hill in Ladywood and West Heath in Northfield are both closed for repairs. Their locations have been braced for a final closure.

Alas, there’s no good news in Birmingham. The Birmingham Library is cutting its hours in half and could lose up to 100 staff members after a budget cut of £1.3 million. This library made headlines in 2013 when it donated many books that had fallen out of use to the Library of Lost Books.