Union workers will go on strike at Lambeth's libraries tomorrow over cuts to the service despite the council's insistence it is considering "radical new models" to save money.

Members of Lambeth Unison will form a picket line outside Brixton Library from 8am to protest against the cuts.

Lambeth Council is looking at a range of ways to cut costs as part of a four year plan to save £750,000, following the loss of central government funding.

Ruth Cashman, Unison representative for West Norwood Library, said: "The cuts proposed by the council will mean the end of many of the libraries’ best loved services; reading groups, author talks and storytimes. They will also mean people can’t get help finding jobs or bidding for council houses."

Lambeth libraries currently have the lowest user satisfaction levels of any London borough. West Norwood Library and the Nettlefold Hall library are still temporarily closed after thieves stole copper from roof of the buildings. Two of the council's mobile libraries were set to be axed this year because of budget cuts, but are currently still in operation. Ms Cashman said: "Valued frontline jobs are being axed but the managers who should be taking responsibility for the crumbling library buildings or the preventable closure of West Norwood Library are escaping any effects of the cuts."

In an interim report to the cabinet, Lambeth Libraries Commission said it was examining a range of options, including charging higher fees to organisations operating out of the borough's libraries, in order to reduce the council's costs. Fines and charges for DVD rental are also likely to be put up, whilst more self-service checkouts could be introduced to save staff costs.

The Commission is reviewing several other cash-saving alternatives to its libraries, including: - Multi-purpose 'community hubs' providing library services as well as healthcare services, exhibitions, live music and cafes, a bookshare scheme - through which residents would lend books to each other – and an outreach schemes offering old books to residents across the borough Councillor Florence Nosegbe, the council’s cabinet member for culture, who is chairing the Libraries Commission, said the cuts were not just about "balancing the books".

She said: "We have received lots of emails from residents and their ideas for the future of Lambeth's libraries and I know how important they are to people.

"This is not just about balancing the books, if a service is under used, we need to know why and address that to ensure residents get value for money.

"This Commission is an honest discussion about what we can do to increase users and ensure a sustainable future for our libraries."

Other library models being considered by the Commission: -Community-owned libraries (libraries which are controlled and managed by local people) -Co-operatives (libraries which are owned and controlled equally by the people who use its services or by the people who work there) -Mutuals (libraries that are owned by, and run for the benefit of, their current and future members) -Social enterprise libraries (libraries which are run by companies who want to improve the employment prospects of local people and lead on community cohesion and engagement activities) -and a joint library service (run in conjunction with another council or organisation)