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- List of Staffless / “Open Plus” Libraries in the United Kingdom and beyond
- Options
- Volunteer-run libraries
- 2010-2014: From Community Library to Community-run library: a look at the impact of volunteers
- Pros: reasons for volunteer “community libraries”
- Cons: reasons against volunteer “community libraries”
- Practicalities
- “The reality is very different”: A volunteer library manager speaks
- Are volunteer libraries statutory or non-statutory?
- Four views on volunteer libraries: Sue Charteris, AnneMarie Naylor, Marylyn Haines-Evans of the WI and Ian Anstice
- The Risk Exposures of Volunteer Libraries
- A crude strategy but here to stay: Biddy Casselden on volunteer public libraries in the United Kingdom
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- Overview
- Privatisation of public libraries: reasons in favour
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- CILIP Update 9/11/11 “Monster or Saviour” article on privatised libraries
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- Efficiencies
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- A glimpse of Tokyo library life, by Sue Charteris
- Volunteer-run libraries
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- Speak Up For Libraries Conference 23rd November 2013
- Speak Up For Libraries Conference, 22 November 2014
- A to Z of Campaigning tactics
- General Election 2015 and Public Libraries: statements from Conservatives, Greens, Labour and Lib Dems on libraries
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- Angry about cuts to Newport Libraries
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- Transcript of Michael Rosen’s “Our Libraries: The Next Chapter” on Radio Four
- Nick Poole on what can we learn from the past to inform the future of public libraries
- A little less conversation: Nick Poole from CILIP writes about the problems with public libraries and action needed
- Libraries Taskforce Kathy Settle sets the records straight
- Practitioners
- Literature Festivals with library involvement
- E-Books in public libraries
- Careers
- Practitioners: What senior managers think 27/3/12
- Library management systems
- New Libraries
- Promotional techniques and Marketing
- “The social aspect of reading”: Fife’s success with food, wizards and comic-cons
- So you’re dependent on fines: The seven step plan to removing your addiction
- Geocaching and public libraries
- Stock management – A complete beginners guide
- Minecraft in public libraries
- Welcome emails
- Lego in libraries
- Public libraries and social media: as local and as useful as your fingers
- Customer service: welcome the complaints and damn well enjoy yourself
- Fun Palaces in Public Libraries: What, How and Why … the case study of Lambeth
- Dogs in public libraries
- Abolishing fines
- 3D Printers and Maker Spaces in Libraries
- Ideas and innovations in public libraries
- Thema: Graham Bell describes Thema, the new subject classification for the global book industry
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Libraries We Love interview 2/8/12
We begin our new blog series, Libraries We Love, with Ian Anstice, “Librarian in Charge” at Cheshire West and Chester Council and creator of Public Libraries News.
Ian, where were you born and how did you become a librarian?
I was born in a depressed and depressing town called Newport in South Wales. It had few things going for it. However, it did have a reasonably big central public library. In those days it had something called Browne Issue, which meant rows and rows of tickets on tables and women finding the right ticket incredibly fast. I loved that place or, rather, the free books that I could take out of it without payment and without judgement. It was so unlike every other building in the town centre that it screamed wonderfulness at me. So, after a few mis-steps, I was lucky enough to get a paid studentship to do a MA in Librarianship and, after that, my first job was as librarian at Winsford Library in Cheshire and I have stayed there pretty much since 1994.
Which sounds a bit tedious, but it isn’t – every day is different, with new challenges and people to help. One of the nice things is serving the children of the kids I remember introducing to the library back when I started. So, so far so normal, but two years ago I was shocked out of any complacency due to the cuts which I started to summarise in a blog called Public Libraries News. I knew I had touched a nerve when, within a couple of months, national newspapers, radio and television started calling me for quotes. I won the international IWR Information Professional of the Year award for it, which was quite something. The big thing, though, was watching politicians appearing surprised when thousands started signing petitions to save libraries and there were marches through market towns. It has been fascinating chronicling it all. Few politicians are under any illusions now about what will happen if they try to close a library.
Who are your three favorite authors?
I have always been and will remain determinedly not high brow in my reading tastes. This is probably a good thing considering the tastes of many public library users who tend to look askance at being offered Marcel Proust or Dostoyevsky as suggested reads. So, without further ado, my authors are:
- Iain M Banks. The science fiction novels of Iain Banks portray as real a view of a highly advanced galactic civilization as you could hope to read, although to be honest the names of the self-aware ships are as big a draw. I love the idea of huge semi-warships called things like So Much for Subtlety and Frank Exchange of Views.
- Terry Pratchett. Waiting for the next Pratchett book to come out has been a big part of my life over the last twenty years. Just as Banks provides a realistic and serious portrayal of Space Opera, I would argue that Sir Terry does the same thing for Fantasy. Even though its very humorous, there’s a lot of perceptiveness in how the relationships between the various races – notably the trolls (who are basically made stone) and the dwarves (who spend most of their lives quarrying, um, stone) – are described.
- George RR Martin. I have loved Pratchett and Banks books for twenty years but Martin is a new crush. The Game of Thrones series has been described as a War of the Roses historical novel with added dragons and there is much truth in this. All of the characters are believable: none are too saintly or too evil. It’s sometimes, in fact, unclear as to who to root for, although my favourite has to be the utterly fantastic “halfman” Tyrion with his height issues and his wit.
Where is your favorite place to read?
REAL VERSION: I suppose that I am not allowed to say on the toilet. However, it actually is the toilet. (How come we can’t admit that this is a place where most reading is done? We happily show the most horrendous violence on TV but still I feel like I’m being very daring saying I read upon the throne, in the littlest room, upon the seat of motions….). The reason I do so is obvious. No interruptions. My small children are stuck outside of the locked door. I get a few minutes peace, sometimes more than a few if it’s a great book. The only downside is of course getting into a book and then suffering pins and needles when I stand up again. What do you mean “too much information?”. This is a blog about librarians.
What place on earth would you most like to visit?
The thing about books, as I tell children when I do school assemblies, is that one can go anywhere without all that troublesome getting packed and travelling. One can even see into the minds of people when you get there. Books can also take you to places otherwise impossible to go like Ancient Rome, the far side of Neptune or an alternate Britain where libraries are well-funded and under no threat of closure. If I was going to be pinned down to an existing place on Earth though … hmmm … I think New York. We went to Florida for the Disney theme parks this Summer and that was such an artificial vision of the USA that I would like to go see something else of this weird, great and divided country that so dominates our lives.
How is technology influencing your library?
In every way possible and at a faster and faster rate. I’m so creaky and old that I can remember using microfiche to check to see if a book was “in print” and the amazement at seeing the first animation on the Encarta CD-ROM we had. Now we have a bank of public access computers that is full of people using it for the essentials of their lives, which nowadays is as much about job-hunting than it is about Facebook or booking a foreign holiday. We also have that height of technology called a coffee vending machine. Google has meant a dramatic decrease in the amount of enquiry work, which has been replaced by the need to help people with the computers. Over the last year, the impact of ebooks has been more notable, although I would hope to see that, like the radio and the television, there will be always be a place for both. No matter what is thrown at a public library though, my experience is that it tends to adapt and survive. Personally, I am looking forward to our first 3D printer and hope it will come soon.
What is the funniest/strangest thing that’s ever happened to you at the library?
I always have a soft spot for the lady who came in one day and asked for Jane Eyre by Charles Bronson.
What’s you favorite Library/Education/Publishing blog?
What, apart from my own? Dang. OK, then, how about Voices for the Library? Hopefully you won’t notice I’m involved in that pioneering public libraries campaigning website as well.
–
Thank you, Ian, from all of us at Berkshire Publishing!
Here’s how to connect with Ian:
Blog: Public Libraries News
Facebook: Public Libraries News
Twitter: @publiclibnews
Ian at Pinterest
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Please send any news, comment or thoughts to ianlibrarian@live.co.uk.Find library changes and recent news near you
Numbers
From 1st April 2017 to end of March 2018, CIPFA reported 127 libraries lost. Since 1st April 2016 to end of March 2017. CIPFA reported 105 libraries closed, bringing the total to 3745 branches. 2015 to end of March 2016: CIPFA reported 121 libraries closed, bringing the total to 3850 libraries. In 2014/15 there was a decline of 106 public libraries, (with 260 static libraries were put under threat of closure/passing to volunteers. 9 mobile libraries under threat in the same period). .
There were 4023 in 2013/14, 4482 in 2009/10 and 4622 in 2003/4. CIpfa have calculated that 121 service points lost in 2015/16, 106 service points were lost in 2014/15, 49 were lost in 2013/14, 74 were lost in 2012/13, 201 in 2011/12, 33 in 2010/11.
....
The complete list is on "Tally by Local Authority" page as are other changes to budgets such as cuts to hours, bookfund and staffing. ....
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- By authority
- Changes by local authority
- List of Library Trusts and prospective Library Trusts
- List of outsourced and prospective outsourced library authorities
- List of Staffless / “Open Plus” Libraries in the United Kingdom and beyond
- List of UK volunteer libraries
- List of withdrawn libraries
- New and refurbished libraries by authority
- Campaigners
- “Suicides, literacy and Space Hoppers”, Politics article 13/6/11
- A to Z of Campaigning tactics
- Angry about cuts to Newport Libraries
- Conferences
- Minutes of the Library Campaign Conference 22/10/11
- Old-fashioned libraries are what we need? Thoughts on the Battle of Ideas public libraries debate, 19th October 2014
- Speak Up For Libraries Conference 23rd November 2013
- Speak Up For Libraries Conference November 14th 2015
- Speak Up For Libraries Conference, 22 November 2014
- Consultations
- Fundraising
- General Election 2015 and Public Libraries: statements from Conservatives, Greens, Labour and Lib Dems on libraries
- Legal
- Meetings
- Options
- A glimpse of Tokyo library life, by Sue Charteris
- Efficiencies
- Increasing income
- Privatized Libraries / Outsourcing library services
- Carillion and libraries
- CILIP Update 9/11/11 “Monster or Saviour” article on privatised libraries
- Further reading
- LS&S (formally known as LSSI).
- Overview
- Privatisation of public libraries – Reasons against
- Privatisation of public libraries: reasons in favour
- The pros and cons of commercial involvement in libraries
- Trusts
- Volunteer-run libraries
- 2010-2014: From Community Library to Community-run library: a look at the impact of volunteers
- Cons: reasons against volunteer “community libraries”
- Council assistance for volunteers
- Further reading
- International
- Practicalities
- “The reality is very different”: A volunteer library manager speaks
- A crude strategy but here to stay: Biddy Casselden on volunteer public libraries in the United Kingdom
- Are volunteer libraries statutory or non-statutory?
- Four views on volunteer libraries: Sue Charteris, AnneMarie Naylor, Marylyn Haines-Evans of the WI and Ian Anstice
- The Risk Exposures of Volunteer Libraries
- Pros: reasons for volunteer “community libraries”
- Practitioners
- 3D Printers and Maker Spaces in Libraries
- Abolishing fines
- Careers
- E-Books in public libraries
- Ideas and innovations in public libraries
- Library management systems
- Literature Festivals with library involvement
- New Libraries
- Practitioners: What senior managers think 27/3/12
- Promotional techniques and Marketing
- “The social aspect of reading”: Fife’s success with food, wizards and comic-cons
- Customer service: welcome the complaints and damn well enjoy yourself
- Dogs in public libraries
- Fun Palaces in Public Libraries: What, How and Why … the case study of Lambeth
- Geocaching and public libraries
- Lego in libraries
- Minecraft in public libraries
- Public libraries and social media: as local and as useful as your fingers
- So you’re dependent on fines: The seven step plan to removing your addiction
- Stock management – A complete beginners guide
- Welcome emails
- Thema: Graham Bell describes Thema, the new subject classification for the global book industry
- Useful
- Users
- A little less conversation: Nick Poole from CILIP writes about the problems with public libraries and action needed
- Glossary of common library terms
- Libraries Taskforce Kathy Settle sets the records straight
- Nick Poole on what can we learn from the past to inform the future of public libraries
- Transcript of Michael Rosen’s “Our Libraries: The Next Chapter” on Radio Four
- Trends in libraries: BBC “The Library Returns” May 2012
- Websites for library users
- What do public library staff do?
- Why libraries?
- A vision for public libraries
- Further reading
- Myth busting
- Reasons for libraries: Educational
- Reasons for libraries: Equality
- Reasons for libraries: False economy
- Reasons for libraries: Internet, E-books and IT
- Reasons for libraries: Value for money
- The Amazing Grace of Public Libraries (or aromatherapy for local living)
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Please also note that this site uses cookies and use of the site presumes an inherent acceptance of this. Thank you.
I would also like to add at this point my thanks to Shirley Burnham for her frequent emails with relevant public libraries news which I then use as a a large part of the material for this site.
Warren O'Donoghue of Rabbitdigital Design has been wonderful in designing and creating this website, maintaining it and basically being there for the one hundred and one web problems that seem to surface all the time.
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Top Posts & Pages
- Ideas and innovations in public libraries
- Arguments against libraries, arguments for libraries
- What are the current issues in libraries? Speak Up For Libraries Workshop: 23rd November
- List of Staffless / "Open Plus" Libraries in the United Kingdom and beyond
- Hello Library Sector, it's me, Book
- Statistics
- List of UK volunteer libraries
- Lego in libraries
- Key challenges for public libraries and their solutions: library leaders speak
- Public Library Standards in England

