Ian Anstice

Editorial

The Guardian have published an article on cuts to public libraries that positively portrays volunteers as an alternative to paid staff.  This is noteworthy as that newspaper as been at the forefront of covering the impact of cuts to public libraries over the last couple of years. The article, “Libraries run by volunteers as councils look to save money“, looks at the cuts in the Isle of Wight where five libraries are now volunteer-run, with a local councillor saying that it was the only way to save the branches and that the “permanent staff have learned a lot from the volunteers”.

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The headline today is from a quote in the Economist on the impact of e-lending.  Another item of note is an article arguing against the findings of the Capita report.  Both, for different reasons, make compelling reading (Ed.)

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The official launch of the Bookmark Your Library website was marked today by the launch of a survey into attitudes to public libraries.  The survey showed that a large part of the respondents (a respectable sample at 2000) have not recently used libraries and were not aware of what they had to offer.  This is hardly surprising considering the lack of publicity and marketing that has been carried out but it is depressing.  More worryingly even than that though was that only a relatively small number said that they would be upset if the library closed down.  Perhaps because they did not know what was within it. Being that the website is a joint venture by several key national bodies concerned with libraries, this could be seen as somewhat shooting oneself in the foot, as one observer noted to me via email:

“One has to ask oneself (and I’m happy to be quoted) why the outfits behind Bookmark Your Library – inc. ACE,  part of whose remit is to ‘promote’ public libraries – have used their first Press Release to encourage negative reports in the media.” Shirley Burnham

Those behind the website hope, of course, that it will boost the opportunities for others to see how important libraries are. There’s some useful stuff on the pages and I recommend it to you to have a look at.  It allows you, for instance, to find your local library or even the nearest one which has the book you’re after.  The searches I did on the site showed that it was not overly user friendly and could be said to be downright wonky, but it’s better than nothing and at least provides ground for improvement.  Let’s hope that happens.  At least before any more similar research is published by library bodies that could be used to argue against libraries rather than for them.

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The overarching concern of many articles listed in Public Libraries News is the cuts in public funding.  This is not surprising in that they are probably the deepest in modern peacetime history.  However, there are two more interlinked concerns that are not covered so much but are equally as important.

The first is, of course, technological change.  Those queues of people who asked me for answers and information when I joined the profession twenty years ago are no more.  There are people who require this service but there are notably less than they were.  I can easily deal with more computer-related queries than I can information-related ones during the course of a normal work day.  The internet has, largely, removed the public library from the essential list of many people when they come to find an answer to a question.  “Just google it” is the new “ask a librarian” for many people.  That has, to a large extent but by no means completely, removed the reference function.

This challenge to the librarian has recently been joined by the advent of the e-book.  I am seeing an increasing number of people now who use a Kindle or an iPad rather than printed books.  A new shock occurred yesterday when someone came up to ask for an author’s books and it turned out that they were only available on e-book.  Only 70% of UK libraries have e-books at all and many of those have a limited selection, with every single one not being able to lend every book due to restrictions by publishers.  It is to be hoped that the Government Sieghart Review will get to grips with this and we all look forward to its arrival.  Soon please.  Even worse, even if a printed book is required,  if it is not available in the branch, many people will buy it on Amazon rather than reserve it – it often costs no more and it can take less time.  And, of course, you get to keep the book.

These are very serious challenges to the need for the continuation of so many public libraries and bring us on to the second overarching concern.  This is of course that, faced with a reduced need for public libraries, less people may use them.  This is not helped by budget cuts which mean that many libraries are not well-maintained or have sufficient bookstock.  If a councillor or a MP walk into a library and it is quiet then they may question its continued funding even if lack of funding helped make it quiet in the first place.

This is why in the recent Capita report, I said that the “reduction in library funding combined with new game-changing technology have together created the perfect storm.”.  A reduction in the perceived need for libraries, coupled with a reduction in usage is coming at the exact same time as councils are looking around to cut budgets.  Faced with such a dire conjunction of events, those who support libraries need to do the most important thing of all – use them. It is only by demonstrating that the institution is still relevant that we can ensure that they will continue into better times.  A major aspect of this is the search for different services that libraries can provide, be it council information or online benefits or as maker spaces or as business incubators or as arts venues or as … well, a whole pile of different things.  Let us hope that all of this works and that people continue to come in without compromising the core purpose of libraries in the first place or we will lose libraries as surely as if they were boarded up.

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Capita have launched a new report,  ‘Protecting Library Services’ today.  It looks into the largely technological ways that libraries can survive in a time described in its executive summary as when “they are facing the biggest set of challenges they have ever had to face in their history”.  Before I look at it though, please be aware of three caveats.  The first is that Capita is a private company so they clearly want to sell the technology.  The second is that some would argue that accepting the budget cuts to libraries is defeatist and that one should fight to the last to protect libraries rather than changing its essence.  Finally, the third, is that I was consulted when the company wrote it and, indeed, I’m quoted in it and so this cannot be an unbiased summary.

Given all this I would still argue that the report is useful in that it looks at what Capita and senior library managers believe are “the most innovative practice within this sector”. It’s worth a look, in other words, even if you don’t agree with it as it shows what the people in charge are thinking and planning. It includes shared services, online library services and social media and “examines how technology is helping libraries adapt, survive and innovate to defend front-line services in this time of change”.  The options put are simply (a) cut services or (b) innovate.

Things that stand out are:

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