Somerset County Council has made a major U-turn in the face of huge public opposition to proposals to close libraries.

Nearly half of the 20 libraries threatened with closure in Somerset could now be saved, a new report to councilors published today reveals.

And a year's grace has been given to a further five threatened libraries to help communities gear up to take them over.

Of Somerset County Council's 34 libraries, that means only six could be at risk of closure in the current year – as opposed to the 20 first feared.

Meanwhile the battle to keep scores of other libraries in the West safe is intensifying in Gloucestershire and Dorset.

The revised Somerset proposal going before the councilors next week shows nine libraries saved – those in the market towns of Glastonbury, Cheddar, Ilminster, Martock, Somerton and Shepton Mallet, as well as smaller libraries in Dulverton, Castle Cary and Wiveliscombe.

"We have listened to what people said and put our residents' views at the heart of our decision making," said council leader Ken Maddock.

"We carried out a hugely effective public consultation and the overwhelming message was that people understood the savings needed but wanted us to spread the cuts more evenly – that's what we're looking to do."

The revamped proposal sees six libraries remaining at risk of closure later this year.

Those libraries would be some of the smallest in the county – Porlock, Highbridge, Watchet, Sunningdale, Bishops Lydeard and Bruton.

A further five libraries could face an uncertain future in 2012, with an extra year given to local communities to take them over.

The proposals save all libraries in major towns but the planned £1.35m saving would still be achieved with reductions in opening hours proposed across all libraries in Somerset.

Comprehensive consultations carried out by the county council saw around 1,000 people attend face-to-face meetings, around 10,000 responses to feedback forms and hundreds of letters and emails to council members.

"People understood the need to make savings, but thought the greatest impact would be felt in rural areas. They wanted to see the savings shared out among all libraries, including those in the biggest towns," said cabinet member Christine Lawrence.

The new proposals include opening hours cut by around 20 per cent across all libraries in Somerset and library users asked to make voluntary donations to help fund the service.

Six libraries – Porlock, Highbridge, Watchet, Sunningdale, Bishop's Lydeard and Bruton – would be offered to their local community or face closure from September this year.

Five libraries – South Petherton, North Petherton, Nether Stowey, Milborne Port and Priorswood – would remain open for a year to give communities time to step in and take them over, or face closure in 2012.

The total saving of £1.35m would still be achieved.

The proposal now goes to a council Cabinet meeting next Tuesday before the major budget-setting full council on February 16.

Meanwhile there was a heated war of words in Gloucestershire yesterday, with library campaigners furious at a council leader's suggestion that borrowers could have to pay to take out books.

Friends of Gloucestershire Libraries attacked Gloucestershire County Council cabinet member Stan Waddington's comments as "a real failure to understand libraries' value".

The council proposes offering 11 libraries to communities, or shutting them, and cutting hours at others to help cover a £108 million cut in funding over four years. Being outside local authority control makes it possible to charge to take out books.

"The Friends of Gloucestershire Libraries deplores councillor Waddington's suggestion," said John Holland, a former assistant head of libraries for Gloucestershire.

Councillor Waddington said he was not advocating charging to take out books. "In a community library you can make a charge. I was not advocating doing it, but I was saying that is what other councils have done."

Protesters trying to save 20 of Dorset County Council's network of 34 libraries will hand over a massive petition at County Hall, Dorchester, on Monday.