The start of new reservation fees for library books in Essex has been pushed back.
Essex County Council, which runs the library services, announced a reservation fee would come into place on April 1.
But library visitors across Essex spotted posters with the announcements being taken down in various locations, sparking hope the decision had been reversed.
The council has confirmed the £1.15 charge, which will apply to adults only, will still come into force, just on a later date.
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A council spokesperson said: “New reservation fees – which have been adopted by many other libraries across the UK – will come into effect from April 21.
“These will only be for adults at a small cost of £1.15 per item and do not apply to children’s books.
“We will be sharing more information on our website, in libraries and with customers who have memberships.”
The council said the decision will cut down on “wasted taxpayers’ money” in transport costs when books, which have been ordered, are not collected.
Last year, around 32,000 of the 400,000 ordered books were not picked up, the council said, which meant the books remained unavailable to other library users.
Campaigners from Save Our Libraries Essex (SOLE) remain critical about the introduction of the fee.
Andy Abbott, of SOLE, said: “Many library users have suggested that rather than punishing the overwhelming majority of users who pick up the books they've ordered, why not issue fines to those that fail to collect orders?
“However, the reasons books are not collected needs to be thought through, as library users report very lengthy delays.
“The book may well have been acquired from a different source, or it may no longer be needed, perhaps for those who wanted a book to assist with studying.
“SOLE is currently conducting a survey into the charges - which is the nearest thing to any sort of consultation - and it is already apparent a majority of library users will use libraries less as a result of these charges.
“And a significant number tell us they will stop using libraries altogether, with the impact particularly pronounced for those using smaller libraries with limited stock.
“While at first glance the £1.15 charge might not sound a lot, it soon adds up when a number of books are being reserved.
“Alas we've seen all this before. Essex County Council is setting our libraries up to fail, with policies that will turn people away.
“And then down the line will they justify the decline in use to close libraries? These charges put our libraries in peril.”
