Every school librarian in one rural council area faces losing their job as the local authority tries to save up to £18m in the next two financial years.

Argyll and Bute wants to cut the equivalent of 420 full-time council jobs, although 125 could transfer to a charitable leisure trust.

If councillors agree at the Policy and Resources Committee meeting next week, the proposals, which the local MSP describes as “brutal and devastating”, will go out to public consultation.

They list possible savings across the whole of the council’s operation.

These range from the removal of all public hanging baskets to the closure of 43 public toilets that cannot be run without cost to the council; from cutting street sweeping frequency by 50 per cent to increasing parking and funeral charges as well as the removal of the mobile library service, which will hit many rural communities and the elderly.

Although teaching jobs are protected, deep cuts are proposed in the education service with a 20 per rent reduction in classroom, clerical and pupil support assistants as well as janitors. A reduction in clothing grants for pupils by 30 per cent is also proposed.

Lunchtime supervision staff could lose their free lunches while spending on educational psychology services could be cut by 7 per cent.

The proposal to completely remove school librarians from all secondary schools is seen by many as symbolic of the pressure education. According to the paper going to the committee, 10 full time equivalent (FTE) school librarians would go in 2016/17 saving £191,000; another 10 the following year saving £319,000 and a further 10 in the future saving another £319,000. But there is no indication how many people, including those working part-time, would lose their jobs.

Last year East Renfrewshire controversially proposed replacing school librarians with senior pupils and self-service machines. Shortly after Duncan Wright, librarian at Stewart's Melville College in Edinburgh started a Facebook campaign page “Save Scotland's School Libraries” highlighting cutbacks in school libraries.

He said at the time: "The school library service in Scotland is currently standing on the edge of a cliff."

A spokesman for the EIS said the teachers' union was seriously concerned about Argyll's proposals and stressed. "Potentially cutting school library services runs absolutely counter to current national initiatives that aim to enhance literacy, and would inevitably lead to a poorer overall educational experience for pupils in secondary schools."

Argyll and Bute SNP MSP Mike Russell said: "As the trades unions rightly point if these cuts were to go ahead they would render the council unable to meet its core commitments and indeed some of its legal duties.

"But more importantly the council presents a bleak picture of the future in Argyll & Bute. One in which the children in most need will get the least help, in which the streets go uncleaned, in which lollipop men and women, music instructors, janitors, classroom helpers, librarians and special needs assistants are all cast on the scrap heap.”

He said the Tory Government's cuts had created financial difficulties for the Scottish Government and every Scottish public body.

A council spokeswoman said: “We would like to be able to do everything that our communities want their council to do; reduced funding means that just is not possible.

"Our predicted funding gap means we have to make up to nine million pounds savings in each of the next two years, with more savings in future."

She said the council had to make choices. “These will not be easy decisions to make. We want to work with our communities, trade unions and our employees in making the right choices for Argyll and Bute. Savings options will be put to public consultation at the end of October with decisions expected in February."

She said the council's focus would be on reducing the impact as far as possible on communities and employees, and making the best possible use of reduced resources.