12 January 2013 2:00 PM – CelticMelodies
“The 1964 Act created and put into place a set of minimum standards of library service that could be uniformly expected by the public throughout England. The standards were formulated by ascertaining the best of practice from around the country. The Act also created a body that was to continue identifying good practice, and presumably raise the standards of library service expected in line with raised expectations from new technologies, increasing levels of education amonst the population, etc. (Presumably in the same rigorouse and reasoned manner as they were originally conceived.)

What exactly happened in reality at this point is not clear at all, a lot of questions remain (there could do to be some research here). However at the point of the 50th anniversary of the 1964 Act, it would be an opportune moment to perhaps set up an enquiry into public library standards in much the same way that the original standards put into being the public libraries we see around us today. Although perhaps not appropriate a point to raise standards, the exercise would serve to celebrate and reinforce the process by which our public library service is constituted.”

11 January 2013 1:49 SaraWingateGray
“UK Public libraries need to have some serious representation in government/Westminster. Handing off responsibility to the Arts Council (who in turn I note have in fact stated they do *not* have “oversight” of the service) while also handing out a serious budget cut to the Arts Council overall is clearly a recipe for disaster by the government, and cynically one might say an easy way to help the service decline.”

11 January 2013 2:03 PM – ShirleySwindon
“ACE’s Libraries Director, Nicky Morgan, will leave in July. Her post has been *scrapped*. ACE is to lose one-fifth of its staff. It is irresponsible for Ed Vaizey – in a parliamentary debate yesterday – to say “I think it is long overdue for the Arts Council to have responsibility for libraries, in order to join up responsibility for local libraries with local culture” (whatever that waffle means).”

11 January 2013 1:48 PM – CelticMelodies
“Legislative bodies do not seem to understand clearly statutory requirements – but of even more concern they seem incapable of clarifying the matter.”