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- 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
- Council assistance for volunteers
- International
- Further reading
- Privatized Libraries / Outsourcing library services
- Overview
- Privatisation of public libraries: reasons in favour
- Privatisation of public libraries – Reasons against
- LS&S (formally known as LSSI).
- CILIP Update 9/11/11 “Monster or Saviour” article on privatised libraries
- Further reading
- Carillion and libraries
- The pros and cons of commercial involvement in libraries
- Trusts
- Efficiencies
- Increasing income
- A glimpse of Tokyo library life, by Sue Charteris
- Volunteer-run libraries
- Why libraries?
- A vision for public libraries
- Reasons for libraries: Educational
- Reasons for libraries: Equality
- Reasons for libraries: Value for money
- Reasons for libraries: Internet, E-books and IT
- Reasons for libraries: False economy
- Myth busting
- The Amazing Grace of Public Libraries (or aromatherapy for local living)
- Further reading
- Campaigners
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- Conferences
- Minutes of the Library Campaign Conference 22/10/11
- Speak Up For Libraries Conference November 14th 2015
- 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, 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
- Fundraising
- Legal
- “Suicides, literacy and Space Hoppers”, Politics article 13/6/11
- Angry about cuts to Newport Libraries
- Users
- Websites for library users
- What do public library staff do?
- Trends in libraries: BBC “The Library Returns” May 2012
- Glossary of common library terms
- 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
- 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
- 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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- About
Overview
Public libraries can be run by private companies on contract from the local authority. In the UK, Carillion run the library services in Croydon, Ealing and Harrow, having lost Hounslow in 2017. In the USA, there are 18 such services (75 branches for 18 “clients” in six states) in the USA (Libraries Systems and Services, widely known as “LSSI“, started its first public library contract in 1997 although it started as a company in 1981). Sweden has six outsourced branches in Stockholm. In February 2013, a Netherlands council announced it would pass over four branches to a private company, Karmac, for half the price that the branches currently cost. Civica operates some school libraries in Singapore and backroom tasks in Boroondara, Australia. Integreon runs some specialist and legal libraries.
Slightly differently, Slough Borough Council’s library service is run by Essex County Council. This is outsourcing, and the contract is presumably a commercial one, although it is interesting to note that this is generally not seen as a privatisation issue by campaigners and Slough boasts of improvements in its service.
In addition, the social enterprise GLL runs Greenwich and Wandsworth library services. It is a non-profit company.
To give an idea of the broader picture, outsourcing throughout the whole UK public sector accounts for over £100 billion. See this report for some views on this.
Legal issues
There is no legal barrier to private companies running public libraries on behalf of a local council in the UK. It does not constitute a contravention of the 1964 Act as long as the council merely subcontracts out the running to a private company rather than divesting itself of the service altogether.
Furthermore, it is worth noting that the Localism Bill, should it become law, will mean that privatisation will need to be considered as an option regardless of any council opposition to it. It contains a “right to challenge” for anyone who thinks they can run the service better. Publicised as a chance for community groups to take over failing or inefficient services, in reality it may be private companies that use the legislation to force competitive tendering. Cllr Theo Blackwell of Camden Council has said that “we are in a slipstream of privatisation that will prove hard to stand up against. This bill is a one-way ticket towards privatisation. We would like to make a strong statement, ruling out private firms, but have been advised that when the new bill becomes law, this could actually be illegal.” . The LGA calls the Localism Bill a “Centralism Bill” being it gives so many more powers to the Secretary of State including a direct power to interfere in the manager of local councils (e.g. by forcing the election of mayors) and in the way (not just the efficiency) of the way services are delivered.
The White Paper Open Public Services was launched on 10th July 2011. This is widely seen as another highly pro-privatisation move by Government leading to comments such as “The Open Public Services agenda will almost certainly mean takeover of the Library Service by a private company” in open forums although remarkably no response as yet by any library organisation.
Surprisingly, given its traditionally more free-market attitude, there is a significantly more comfortable playing field for privatisation of libraries in the UK than in some parts of the USA. California has recently passed a bill specifically to make it harder to privatise libraries. It’s key provisions are that councils must:
• pick a contract after a competitive bidding process.
• give four straight weeks of public notice before enacting a change, doubling the current requirement.
• prove through a broad analysis that a switch away from the free public library system saves the city or county money.
• show that the cost savings are not simply a factor of lower pay for the private company’s employees.
• require an audit before hiring a library contractor charging more than $100,000 a year.
• ensure that the public employees don’t lose their jobs.
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Contact
Please send any news, comment or thoughts to ianlibrarian@live.co.uk.Find library changes and recent news near you
Numbers
From 1st January 2018: 20 libraries + 2 mobiles in Derbyshire.
From 1st January 2017, 100 libraries are under threat (5 in Bath, 17 in Bristol, 17 in Bury, 5 in Cheshire East, 3 in Cumbria, 8 in East Sussex, 4 in Liverpool, 7 in Midlothian, 28 in Northamptonshire, 10 in Plymouth, 4 in South Tyneside).
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. ....
For a list of new and refurbished buildings see this page,Recent Comments
- David Frost on New and refurbished libraries by authority
- Sue Taylor on Meanwhile, in bookselling, Amazon takes over
- Ian Anstice on Meanwhile, in bookselling, Amazon takes over
- Tim Coates on Meanwhile, in bookselling, Amazon takes over
- Darren Smart on A time to think is a bit of a luxury in council library services
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- About
- 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
- Careers
- E-Books in public libraries
- Ideas and innovations in public libraries
- Library management systems
- 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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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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