Dwindling breed
Jul 26th
- Author Sarah Waters fears an unhappy ending for new libraries – Camden New Journal. “A former Camden librarian who became an award-winning author has criticised cuts to local government services. Sarah Waters, who wrote best-seller Tipping The Velvet, said forcing volunteers to take over management of libraries from local authorities showed contempt”. Also criticised current PLR law regarding volunteer libraries but government says ““Sampling of the books borrowed is undertaken nationally and the payments to authors are administered and funded by central government. “The Department for Culture, Media and Sport have made it clear that payments to authors will not be affected.”” More >
Doncaster, Surrey, Wakefield, Gloucestershire, Brent
Jul 25th
- Doncaster – Donations requested for funding judicial review against libraries being closed / forced onto volunteers.
- School libraries – Mass lobby of parliament October 29th.
News
“Ok devil’s advocate perhaps but…..libraries of all kinds –corporate, academic, schools, special , government etc etc —not to mention the subscription based (public) London Library make loans to borrowers and are not part of PLR. What’s the problem? PLR is just a sampling scheme—it doesn’t cover all public libraries anyway. Perhaps the bigger issue is no PLR (or legal deposit) on ebooks….” Ken Chad on Lis-Pub-Libs. More >
Surrey chooses volunteers over paid staff at the same cost
Jul 24th
Library pornography, cats, privatisation and PLR
Jul 23rd
- Are Harrow and Ealing joining together to privatise their library services? – Stop the privatisation of public libraries. Harrow and Ealing considering privatisation of their library services despite consultation that shows public against it. More >
101 ways to skin a cat/save a library
Jul 21st
There’s more than one way to skin a cat, or say the saying goes. Suffolk is trying a new one. It will be become the first authority in the country to have its libraries run by an Industrial and Provident Society, when it hands over its branches on 1st August. When faced with 27% cuts, with the fear of more, and no clear previous examples of how to go about it, it is unsurprising that radical solutions are being sought. Perhaps, though, they’re not so radical as all that: Trusts have been running libraries for years and communities taking over libraries is hardly novel either. The reasons for trying these changes are obvious and varied – localism, efficiency and of course unpaid labour with the clear major reason being the cuts in budget. The new library structures are there to try to maintain the service and to avoid closures but the danger is, of course, that they are being used a delaying tactic only. Maybe, in such times, it is the best that some authorities can hope for.
Wakefield up to 12 branches may go, 2 possible moves elsewhere
Jul 19th
- Calls to “move libraries into 21st century” sparks ebook lending review – Guardian. ” a Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) spokesman has said the culture minister, Ed Vaizey, will soon announce an independent review into ebook lending.”
- If Dan Jarvis believes the DCMS is not competent to handle public libraries why is he asking them to conduct a review on ebook lending? – Good Library Blog. Labour Party does not have a good record in Brent etc so Mr Jarvis should sort out his own backyard first. More >
UK’s largest “library card for every child” scheme starts in Portsmouth
Jul 18th
- DCMS accused of “incompetence” over PLR confusion – BookSeller. “The Society of Authors has joined ranks with the shadow culture minister Dan Jarvis in criticising the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) for the lack of guidance given to councils and volunteer-run libraries on paying PLR. The DCMS has now clarified that only libraries run by local authorities will be covered by public lending right (PLR) legislation. Jarvis has accused the government of “incompetence” for failing in its duty to make clear the position over volunteer-run libraries and PLR at an earlier stage. There has also been confusion over whether volunteer-run libraries would be in breach of copyright legislation by lending out books.” More >
Digital Economy Act could “pull the plug” on library internet access
Jul 17th
News
- Act risks limiting internet access in libraries, schools and universities – CILIP. Digital Economy Act treats libraries in the same way as individuals. This could mean “see the plug pulled on internet access across the country” which will have terrible consquences as “half of people who use the internet in a public space did so in a public library“. Ed Vaizey’s 2011 assurance that libraries will not be covered by the Act has not come about in practice. “At a time when services across the public sector are experiencing reduced budgets and pressure to make savings, the costs of managing and monitoring the implementation of the Act and the risk of local authorities, schools, colleges and universities having their reputations damaged by being placed on an infringement list could lead many libraries to pull the plug on internet access altogether.” More >
The fate of UK’s public libraries depends on this review
Jul 16th
At some point this week, Mr Vaizey will announce an independent review into e-book lending in public libraries. Do not make the mistake of thinking that this is not important. Consider. E-books are likely, sooner or later, to be the effective replacement for printed books. It may not happen this year, or in five years, or even in twenty. But it is going to happen. More >
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