The Greens close libraries too
Sep 15th
The Greens have become the latest political part to plan closing a library. The mobile library in Brighton is soon to finish, to be replaced by a home delivery system supported by volunteers. Elsewhere, cuts affect libraries in Sandwell and a library is likely to transfer to a community centre in Cheshire West and Chester. The occupation of Friern Barnet Library by squatters has been the inspiration of several articles of different viewpoints.
When Ed Vaizey says “Will-Nilly”, does he mean “Never, No How”?
Sep 13th
Campaigners have taken offence at the words of Ed Vaizey in the parliamentary debate yesterday when he said he would not launch an inquiry into library cuts in an authority “willy-nilly”. The BookSeller (Vaizey: inquiries can’t be called willy-nilly) describes his comments thus:
Plan V: Parliamentary debate on Gloucestershire Libraries
Sep 12th
The cuts to Gloucestershire Libraries were debated in the House of Commons this evening. The complete text is here. I do not propose to provide a full summary here as the exchange was short and it is far better to get it from the horses’ mouth and read the actual text. The following are just the bits that jumped out to me.
Library squatters in Barnet. Meanwhile, in India …
Sep 11th
National Libraries Day may be changed so it becomes National Libraries Week. It may also be moved from February to June/July. Please see more here. The day has been a tremendous success over the last couple of years and it is important that this is right.
The Guardian reports on the squatters taking over Friern Barnet Library. What with the Council seeking to use the squatters for the purpose of opening a volunteer-run library elsewhere and the locals being happy about the Library (sort of) reopening, this looks like the Most Popular Squat of the Month UK. Meanwhile, it looks like Solihull will be reducing opening hours in many of its libraries soon. There’s an awful story about a library in India with some fantastic rare books simply rotting away due to lack of money. There’s also another, equally awful in its own way, story from the subcontinent about a large new town with no parks and no libraries and the way that it may be ffecting on quality of life and/or house prices.
Responses to Cllr Powney
Sep 10th
As expected Councillor Powney’s explanation for the library closures in Brent has caused a fair few responses. As promised, this post publishes them all. Taken together, they show how far apart the two points of view are in the borough and the depths of feeling caused by the closure of libraries.
Kensal Rise
There is a sense from the Kensal Rise campaigners of, shall we say, a certain lack of disbelief in the genuineness of Brent Council’s willingness to listen to local people about what they need and desire. Margaret Bailey from the Save Kensal Rise campaign notes that:
Kent libraries, CLOA and the DCMS
Sep 10th
The decision by Kent to, reportedly, transfer ten libraries to volunteers would be noteworthy normally but it especially important to note that it is being directly linked in the news article to the decision by the Secretary of State not to intervene in three of the largest library closures of the last two years. Another item of note is the CLOA document which sees the current cuts as an opportunity to close libraries and to try out different models in order to be more effective. CLOA is an organisation of senior council staff with a Leisure/Libraries interest. A lot of what it says (less library authorities, colocation) is now in the general efficiencies lexicon but some of the other suggestions (more outsourcing, closing small libraries) are perhaps less welcome to those campaigning to save the network as it is.
Concentrate on services, not buildings: Councillor Powney on Brent’s Library Transformation Project
Sep 9th
This is an unusual post for Public Libraries News. For months, almost two years, this website has been reporting on the closure of libraries in Brent and the campaign to stop them. Arguably, the reports have largely been from the campaigners’ point of view rather than that of the authority. Councillor Powney, one of the chief movers behind the decision to close the libraries, has been in touch in order to redress the balance and to give his, and the council’s, side to what has been the most emotive and high profile closures in, possibly, the history of UK public libraries. This post belongs to him. I expect to publish a response to it from campaigners tomorrow.
Julia Donaldson writes open letter on libraries
Sep 9th
The Children’s Laureate, Julia Donaldson, at the start of her UK tour to highlight the subject of public libraries, has written an open letter to the new Secretary of State. It’s a great letter and sums up what is so important about libraries and how terrible the last couple of years have been. It also points out the inadequacies of the Government response to what has been the deepest peacetime cuts in history to the budget and provision of public libraries. There was a great deal of coverage in the Independent, the London Evening Standard, the BBC and the Scotsman. Again, though, the Government response has been inadequate. The new Secretary of State, Maria Miller, was quoted on the BBC Radio 4 News as saying, in effect, public libraries were nothing to do with her. She needs to learn the error of this statement quickly and then she needs to do something about it. Or it’s going to be more of the awful same as we have had before.
International Literacy Day
Sep 8th
September 8th is designated as International Literacy Day by UNESCO. Many national papers covered the story that children are reading less, although few made with the link with libraries. However, there’s a couple of good stories from Canada and Australia where the link was made.
The DCMS has written to campaigners in Lewisham and Bolton to extend the date for them to reply to Ed Vaizey’s “not minded to intervene” letter to 5 o’clock on 31st October. I’ve seen copies of the letters but the DCMS website has not yet been updated as of the date of this posting. So, you now have enough time to tell Ed why not intervening in widespread library closures in those boroughs is going against his statutory duty.
Hi Ed
Sep 6th
Comment
Save Kensal Rise have now raised more than five thousand pounds more than their fundraising target of £70,000. This does not mean their library is safe but it means they have a fighting chance. Which is more than can be said for democracy in Cornwall, as the majority of Cornwall Council councillors have vote against privatising its services, including libraries, only to have their vote ignored by the Cabinet who are pressing ahead anyway.
In a move which raise a wry smile in the UK, it appears that people who work in Nigerian libraries but are not qualified face the danger of prosecution. It is unlikely that the Government will follow this example. Speaking of this Government, Public Libraries News has been honoured by a mention in Parliament. A mention, incidentally, that shows the Under Secretary of State with responsibility for libraries is aware of the existence of this website. Bearing in mind what I occasionally say about him, I can only hope he is not a vindictive or violent man.
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