More Brent news.  “The case will be heard in the court of appeal as an “expedited hearing” within a few weeks. Law firm Bindmans, acting for the campaigners, will also seek an injunction in the court of appeal tomorrow (Wednesday 19th October) to protect the six Brent libraries affected by the decision pending that appeal.”.  Lawyers say the early timing of the appeal  is “quite remarkable” as it normally takes months.

• Tweet (@stephenfry) or email Stephen Fry to publicise the plight of British libraries.
• Pressure your local MP to write to John Whittingdale, the Chairman of the Culture Media and Sport Committee, to ensure that the issue of DCMS intervention is brought up at the Autumn evidence session.  Someone in Parliament needs to start advocating on libraries behalf and your letter or email could be the spur that gets them to act.
• Please sign the national petition in support of public libraries.
• Book your place on the Library Campaign conference, 22/10/11
  

• Public library is for everyone … who can get there – Marion MacMahon.  Feminist said “What about the women who don’t have our White Middle Class Woman’s access to the internet, the library, healthcare, insurance, etc, etc?”.  She said “the library” due to lack of public transport links.
• Should government turn everything it doesn’t want to do into a startup? – Innovation Investment Journal.  “The catch is, governments want society to take up this new role without being offered any incentive …”  Libraries used as first case study.  “Public libraries, being seen as not likely to be ‘suited to privatisation’ would either go from the public sector to the ‘not for profit’ sector, or (more likely) into oblivion.”
• Stop patronising, start patronising – Spectator. “Be honest, how many times have you used your local library in the past year? If you live in Kensal Rise, the answer is “not enough” … “Clearly, a library getting hundreds of thousands of visitors a year is going to be in a safer position than one getting tens of thousands. The biggest shortcoming of the Brent library campaigners, as well as an unhelpful “all or nothing” approach, has been a failure to appeal to anyone who wasn’t already a library user.”.  There should be more books, opening, etc … ” If libraries are going to survive, we need to see them as more than just a safety net for the poor, the old and the young. Like all public services, they function best when used by everyone.”
• Town hall bosses expenses furore – Press Association.   “Chief executives have run up bills of £1.2 million since the Coalition came to power, while local authorities were slashing hundreds of thousands of jobs and cutting frontline services such as libraries and children’s services.”
• Vandalism on a worse scale than the riots – Independent (Boyd Tonkin).   “Not content with winning the High Court case last week that sought to halt the closure of six branch libraries, Brent council – with indecent haste – dispatched wrecking crews.”… “Brent has written itself a starring role in the long saga of British philistine stupidity.” … “A hand-to-mouth, volunteer-run future is the best that many [UK libraries under threat] can expect. Brent, like many authorities of all political shades, justifies the ruin of much-loved services on the grounds that a central super-library will open at some point. The riots have a lesson to teach us here. They showed that the most vulnerable people in urban communities lead narrowly local lives.”.  Suggests better management of resources will improve libraries without closures.
• We need information on special interests – Infoism. “KPMG, for example, are listed as having links with parliamentary staff.  It was KPMG who first floated the idea of libraries run by volunteers in a report published last year.  With the current situation facing public libraries across the country, it is hard not to come to the conclusion that someone with links to KPMG is pushing this policy at the DCMS – something that should alarm and concern library campaigners everywhere.  What chance any campaign if ‘vested interests’ are ensuring that ministers ignore the will of the people and push forward with their agenda?”

Changes

Warwickshire – List of current proposals for each of the 16 branches under threat.   

Local News

• Bolton – Library closure decision will go before the full council – Bolton News.   “decision to close the doors on five of Bolton’s libraries will be looked at again – after councillors claimed the process was too ‘hasty’.”
• Libraries are so important to communities, says actor – Bolton News.   John Levitt says ““You can never quantify what a library does — it’s the long term thing of giving young people support and knowledge and acknowledging that they exist. That has a huge effect on their education and their future job prospects, it’s crazy to shut them down.”

“Bloody liberty,” shouted the woman pushing her baby past the boarded-up perimeter of what was, until last week, Preston library in north-west London. Her sentiments at its closure were echoed in the graffiti spreading across the sheets of timber. “My children need this library. You are killing the future!!!” read one. “Hitler burnt books. Brent council make sure you don’t get them in the first place,” hissed another. Library campaigners mount vigils to prevent Brent Council clearing shelves – Guardian.   ““My cousins come here to study,” she said. “And if they’re not studying here, they’ll be roaming around the streets.” … “This ward has the highest illiteracy rate in London, so it makes no sense to close this unless you want young people on the streets rioting; they’re doing everything to facilitate that.”

• Warwickshire – Hopes fade for saving Warwickshire’s axed libraries – Coventry Telegraph.  “Council’s ruling Conservative cabinet heard hopes for community takeovers are struggling because of cash shortages to help them get off the ground. It has prompted council leader Alan Farnell to search for some extra cash to bolster an oversubscribed £125,000 Big Society Fund.” … “Tory councillor Colin Hayfield, cabinet member for libraries, also accepted some community library takeovers could get off the ground then “wither on the vine” within three years.”
• Worcestershire – Libraries forced to cut hours – Worcester News.   Opening hours reduced, less paid staff. ““You are going to have a lot of upset library users as a consquence of these changes,” he said and voiced concern about proposals which give increasing reliance on volunteers.”

• Pressure your local MP to write to John Whittingdale, the Chairman of the Culture Media and Sport Committee, to ensure that the issue of DCMS intervention is brought up at the Autumn evidence session.  Someone in Parliament needs to start advocating on libraries behalf and your letter or email could be the spur that gets them to act.
• Please sign the national petition in support of public libraries.
• Book your place on the Library Campaign conference, 22/10/11
  

LBC/Andrew Pierce discussing Brent libraries on Sunday from 10am. Call 0845 60 60 973 or text 84850 to share your views!” @PrestonLib (Twitter)

“So, we need your support. For the next few days we need your help in maintaining a presence at the library. We need you there during the day for whatever time you can spare.‬ ‪If you can be at the library from midnight to 5am that would be fantastic.  We have people taking over at 5am.‬” Save Kensal Rise Library.

“Speaking for the campaigners, resident Margaret Bailey expressed her disappointment and her determination to appeal. “We believe that there are important points of principle at stake that an appeal court will decide differently. Our campaign will redouble its efforts to expose the senselessness of Brent Council’s decision to close half of its libraries,” she said. “Although this seems an unequal struggle between Brent Council, with its extensive resources, and the people of Brent, who have waged the largest campaign ever seen in the 45-year history of the borough, we will be redoubling our efforts to prevent six libraries being closed for ever.”

The solicitor, John Halford of Bindmans LLP said: “Today’s judgement means that half of Brent’s libraries remain under threat and has very troubling implications for library closure decisions nationally. That is why Ms Bailey, Ms Desoysa and Mr Lester will be pursing an appeal and the local campaign will renew its efforts to expose the senselessness of Brent’s decision. It cannot be right to decimate the library service of an inner London borough whose children are desperate to read and study but whose parents cannot afford books nor the transport costs of regular access to distant libraries. Nor is Brent right to say the threatened libraries are unnecessary to meet local needs. The passion and commitment of the community campaign to keep them open shows that is nonsense.”

“Public libraries are in danger of going the way of the public phone box, Blockbuster stores and fax machines. But while no one really kicked up a fuss when phone boxes and Blockbuster started receding into irrelevance (except perhaps in the case of the former, when youths were caught short), libraries are a much more emotive kettle of fish.”

• Books left unreturned following sudden closure of six libraries in Brent – Brent and Kilburn Times.  “Brent Council closed six libraries in the borough today without giving people time to return borrowed books and DVDs. Dozens of people have been visiting the libraries this afternoon to drop off their borrowed items but are being told to take them elsewhere.” … “There is even a security guard on the door. How much of taxpayers’ money is going on paying this security guard when the library itself has closed? It is outrageous.”

“Councillor Paul Lorber, leader of Brent Liberal Democrat group, said: “It is a disgrace to close the libraries without even allowing borrowers to bring their books back.“ It’s simply vindictive to deny young children their half-term fun – especially as it is children who will be affected most by the library closures.“There is no good reason why the libraries shouldn’t stay open over half-term and until we know whether there will be an appeal.”

“It means that we can now push ahead with our exciting plans to improve Brent’s library service and offer a 21st-century service for the benefit of all our residents. The six libraries we identified for closure were those in unsuitable locations and badly in need of expensive and, quite frankly, unaffordable repairs.”

• High Court bid to halt library closures fails – Guardian. “The decision is bad news for library campaigners across the country, who are battling the closures of hundreds of libraries around the UK. Campaigners in Somerset and Gloucestershire, awaiting the results of another judicial review, will be particularly disappointed.” … “”Although this seems an unequal struggle between Brent Council, with its extensive resources, and the people of Brent, who have waged the largest campaign ever seen in the 45-year history of the borough, we will be redoubling our efforts to prevent six libraries being closed for ever.”
• Kensal Rise library: opened by Mark Twain, closed by depressing legalese – Guardian.  “The judgment delivered at the narrow, cold high court showed only the huge gap between the arcana of the judicial, bureaucratic mindset and the facts as seen by ordinary people” … “The stories that help us understand each other, the non-fiction that gives us the tools to survive in the world, the picture books that help toddlers make sense of themselves – are they to be only for rich people now? Brent’s Labour council should hang their heads in shame.”
• Leader of opposition group on Brent Council, Councillor Paul Lorber, says campaigners will “not give up” against library closures – Harrow Times.  “It’s been a fantastic campaign by hundreds and thousands of people and the campaign continues. We are determined to save our libraries in Brent irrespective of what the Labour administration is doing. With an appeal now pending it is essential that the council maintains the current library services until the appeal process is completed.”
• Library campaigners refused permission to appeal against High Court ruling – Brent and Kilburn Times.   “Campaigners battling to save six libraries in Brent from closure have been refused permission to appeal after they lost a High Court case this morning (Thursday).” …”However, campaigners are now set to appeal against the judge’s decision to refuse them permission to appeal.” [I love that sentence – Ed.]
• Loony left is back in Labour’s Brent council – Mail.   “Just as left-wing councils refused to collect the poll tax in 1990 to destroy Margaret Thatcher. They are now determined to wreck local services such as the libraries, which are treasured by the middle classes, in the hope the Coalition will get the blame.”

“Conservative councils throughout the country are emulating Brent’s example as quickly as they can.  There is no political party in the country that stands up for literacy, libraries and community life.  You are all tarred with the same brush, unfortunately.   The floating voter can only float.  He has no harbour in which to rest if he wants to see his public library survive. So instead making a political point, why not do something useful and write to the Secretary of State and Culture Minister, requesting that they undertake their statutory duties and intervene to bring justice for the people of Brent ?  That would be nice.” Response to “Loony Left” mail piece by Shirley Burnham.

• Margaret Bailey and others v. London Borough of Brent Council – High Court of Justice.   Judge dismisses all points of claim – council was serious in consultation, it had been well publicised and there was equalities problem.
• Outcome of Brent judicial review – Voices for the Library.   “The victory for Brent council sends out a very worrying message for library campaigners everywhere.  Council leaders across the country may look to this ruling to justify library closures and will see this ruling as the legal backing they require to go ahead with planned library closures.  They would be wrong to do so. Mr Justice Ouseley remarked during this morning’s proceedings that he did not believe the ruling in Brent had wide significance across the country, but instead reflected a judgement purely on how Brent council had approached its local situation. Councils should not, therefore, see this outcome as an excuse to cut their own services in a similar way.”
• Residents can expect just 3 functioning libraries in the 21st Century – Preston Library Campaign. “As Brent Council slashes library services in half, telling people to “buy books in Tesco” and “get on a bus”, little do residents realise that of the 6 remaining libraries, only 3 are ‘fit for purpose’. Kilburn “needs major upgrade”, Willesden Green is set to be knocked down and rebuilt and funding is being sought for Kingsbury to be rebuilt/enlarged. That leaves just 3 usable libraries in Brent Council’s vision of a “21st century library service”.” … “The new £ 3 million mega-library our cash-strapped council found money for. How convenient. At least for the council. It’s too far for children, the elderly and disabled (who most use the existing library) , there’s no parking and rising public trasport fares make this ‘free’ service, not so free.”
• Six fought-over Brent libraries will remain shut for evermore – Harrow Observer.   “Former Tory Brent councillor Jack Sayers, of Halford Road near Cricklewood Library, said: “There were two police officers outside Cricklewood Library today as there has been some talk of a protest and I have heard that the library is going to be boarded up this evening. It is absolutely scandalous what they are trying to do, everybody is against what they are doing, it is just unbelievable that they are trying to close these libraries.”
• UNISON response – UNISON.   Union “has warned councils that the verdict of a judicial review into Brent libraries, heard at the High Court today, should not be taken as a ‘green light’ to close services. Instead, the UK’s largest union said it should serve as a warning to authorities that community groups must be consulted on change.”… ““Community groups are being held to ransom by Government plans, to force them to take over their libraries, or lose them. This will create a postcode lottery, with some communities going without libraries altogether, if groups fail to rise to the challenge. The Government must act to stop local authorities rushing through changes to services with no consultation. UNISON will continue to fight to protect library services from savage cuts, as community campaigns continue across the country. An investment in libraries is an investment in the future generation.”
• We will continue the fight to save much-needed libraries – Preston Library Campaign.  “Today we got our verdict on Round 1 of Brent residents v the Labour Council. “…”We are not just a bunch of NIMBYs trying to save a defunct service, this is the biggest campaign Brent has seen in half a century – 10,000 + signatures, 82% opposition to the closure plan, including almost every school in the borough. We use our libraries, we value them, and we need them. Brent Council can easily afford to keep them open, and their loss means a decimated, two-tier library service that will fail residents.”.  Includes official press release.
• Workmen prepare to board up Kensal Rise Library – BookSeller.   “The library was closed this morning, with a notice on display saying it would be closed until 2pm to allow for a staff briefing. But when demonstrators returned from today’s High Court verdict, a further notice stated the library would be closed “until further notice.” Workmen have measured the building’s doors and windows and are preparing to board it up.”

“We will be studying this judgment carefully for its national implications. However there can be little doubt of the immense disappointment thousands of users in Brent and elsewhere will feel. Once again this has shown how much libraries mean to local people and once again both national and local politicians need to understand the depths of this feeling. Libraries should be seen as part of way out of the recession and not as an easy service to cut” Annie Mauger, CILIP.

Other News

• It’s bonfire of the quangoes as Hogan slashes agencies – Herald [Eire].  “Mr Hogan hopes the dissolution of An Chomhairle Leabharlanna (The Library Council) — a move he has just announced — will lead to savings in operating costs of €1m a year.” … “Mr Hogan acknowledged the cuts were a “direct response to the current economic crisis” and a “necessary means of contributing to the reduction of overall public sector costs through enhanced efficiency”. An Chomhairle Leabharlanna was established by the Public Libraries Act of 1947 and it provides advice and assistance to libraries, while also advising the Minister on policy issues.”
• Library Cuts: the battle of the bookshelves – BBC.   Includes Brent, Waltham Forest, Oxfordshire, “It is hoped that volunteers will step in to staff scores of branches in Cambridgeshire, Camden and Cumbria. But the notion of replacing professional librarians has proved contentious. In Doncaster, where the council agreed on Wednesday to close two libraries and hand 12 branches to volunteers, Mayor Peter Davies was asked on BBC Radio whether volunteers would need training and support.”.  Lists librarian skills. … “Buckinghamshire is a relatively prosperous county with a sufficient pool of people with the time and skills to operate the local library. Trying to follow the same model in a busy town library in a deprived area would I think be unlikely to succeed.” … Hillingdon used as success story.
• Why the time might be up for libraries – Telegraph.   “There are plans to use the money saved to open a new £3 million super library at the civic centre near Wembley Stadium. As a Brent resident who lives five miles from Wembley, this new super library will not do much good for me, though doubtless there will be a lovely opening ceremony.” … “There is no point keeping a library open if it no longer serves its function: a quiet place, with no worthy distractions, comfortable seats and hundreds of good books to lose yourself in.” … Suggests All Souls College (the landlord of one of the libraries) steps in and runs a traditional library service instead.

Local News

• Bolton – Two hours and a lot of words – This is Lancashire.  “There was political posturing, plenty of name-calling, a bit of metaphorical finger pointing, but nothing in the way of real debate. The Lib Dems, two in number and both up for re-election next year, sought to distance themselves from the Tories” 
• Shouts of shame at libraries meeting – Bolton News.   Includes video. “The decision will now go to a scrutiny committee on Monday and then, most likely, to a full council vote next Wednesday.But yesterday’s decision was essentially the final nail in the coffin for five branch libraries.” 
• Library campaign statement – Save Bolton Libraries (via Alan Gibbons).   ““Although hardly unexpected, this is a deeply disappointing decision, which we feel has ignored local opinion, and been poorly thought through. We do not believe these savings were necessary and they will make life worse for many vulnerable people in our community, especially families with children and people who can’t get around as easily.”
• Conwy – Library campaigner Chris Draper outraged that £3,700 of public money is spent on Blackberry’s and phone calls by library bosses – North Wales Weekly News. “Five library managers have been issued with Blackberrys by Conwy County Council.”.  One of the phones was stolen and £2500 of calls were made.  … ““They are issued because the managers are ‘on call’ on a rota basis every Saturday morning and need to be contactable in an emergency. A Blackberry allows them to work from different locations, access e-mails and link to the corporate intranet and internet at times when libraries are open but other council offices are closed.”.  Seven branches could close but staffing costs could go up.
• Doncaster – Council backs controversial Doncaster library plan – South Yorkshire Times.  “Mr Davies announced the decision at a packed cabinet meeting in the Mansion House yesterday where dozens of campaigners from the Save Doncaster Libraries turned up. The mayor was slammed for not allowing protestors to speak at the meeting with several campaigners being asked to leave amidst shouts of “shame on you” and “this is not democracy”.  Mayor says ““The money is just not around and there are certain people who have no concept of public finance and have no interest in putting forward alternative ideas to deal with this.”
• Libraries handed over to volunteers – Yorkshire Post.   “A spokesman for the Save Doncaster Libraries campaign group said Doncaster Council had “failed the people of Doncaster in their shambolic approach to changes to the library service.” They added: “The Mayor has flatly refused to listen to solutions offered by the Labour group and has failed to investigate alternative methods of keeping libraries open. Instead, he has jumped at the massively problematic volunteer method.”
• Dorset – Charmouth: Residents warned to fund, staff and use or lose library – Bridport News.  ““The ad hoc Friends of Charmouth Library Committee hopes to make the building of far more use in the future but needs to be sure that this is what residents want. We also need to elect a new Friends Committee, recruit more Friends and volunteers and know that there will be sufficient income to sustain running costs of around £4,500 a year.”.  Nine threatened libraries not statutory so council can withdraw funding at any time.

“Our campaign is run by Mums and Retirees – and we’ve said spread the cuts across the libraries, not no to cuts” Oxfordshire – Save Sonning Common Library (Twitter).  The leader of Oxfordshire claimed campaigners were militant lefties who wanted to shunt cuts to social care instead.

• Somerset – Bishops Lydeard volunteers frustrated by library takeover delays – BBC. “But unlike the campaigners in Brent, who were fighting to keep the libraries under council control, the Bishops Lydeard volunteers have already accepted a similar proposal by Somerset County Council will go ahead. As a result, they have put together plans to run the library themselves but have been frustrated by legal challenges from groups trying to stop the move in other areas.” … “Bishops Lydeard library has occupied a 30 sq m room in an old building in the middle of the village for more than 40 years. When it was decided the library would be run as a community library, from 1 October, more than 130 volunteers signed up to help run it.” [That’s 4.3 volunteers per square meter – Ed.]

• Please sign the national petition in support of public libraries.
• Book your place on the Library Campaign conference, 22/10/11

• Cake – Wordshore.   Report on LibraryCamp last Saturday.  Interesting report on the “Unconference” including importance of having CILIP and Voices for the Library there.
• Good news for California libraries and their patrons – Can it happen here?  (USA).  “…Brown has signed a bill to make it far more difficult for cash strapped counties and cities to hand their libraries over to for-profit companies. Along with public schools, libraries are one of our leveling institutions, a place everyone can go to seek information or entertainment, to use a computer, or even, if you are well behaved, to get out of the rain.”

• Peter Collins: Local Libraries are on top of my “most sexy” list – Wales Online.  “Libraries have played a crucial role in the social and cultural life of South Wales, particularly in the early and middle parts of the 20th Century, when they opened up whole new worlds to working-class people whose lives would otherwise have been bleak indeed.”
• Public libraries have outlived their usefulness – Examiner (USA).  [Editor’s Note: An article, incredibly extreme by UK standards but of familiar type in the USA.  The view is that everyone has enough money to spend on books and that all parents can afford childcare costs or are never working when children are out of school].  Libraries are  “a babysitting service for parents who can’t be bothered with parenting. It isn’t as if they don’t have learning resources at home.” … “We don’t really need them anymore. We keep them around because we are nostalgic or because we want a babysitter, but we don’t need them for their books. For books we have Barnes and Noble, and Barnes and Noble has coffee.”
• Rage to defund libraries goes off the deep end – Annoyed Librarian (USA).  “In New Hampshire, a Republican state representative is trying to reduce funding for the state’s popular interlibrary loan program because the service works too well. He claims to be a frequent user of ILL. According to the article, “What irks him, he said yesterday, is that he gets his requested books within a day or two.””.  It would be cost less tax if the service was slower.  The service is not paid for by the State he represents … “When you have a state politician salivating to cut a popular public service funded by money his state doesn’t even provide and which would still have to be used for library-related services somewhere in the state, you know you’ve gone through the looking glass.”
• Strong leadership is key as London boroughs share services – Guardian.  Lessons from the combining of services in Kensington & Chelsea, Hammersmith & Fulham and Westminster.  “Underpinning this project has had to be real savings. The final reports put the figure at £33.4m. Some savings are already being made. Having one director for children’s services, one libraries director and one director for adult social care replaces nine roles with three, saving around £740,000 in salaries alone.”

• Cheshire East – One stop shops being moved into libraries, with library staff being trained up to answer council enquiries.   
• Hampshire – Consultation on library cuts until Dec 28th 2011. 
• Northamptonshire – Up to 17 jobs to go.  Closures could occur in 2013 if enough cuts not made or if volunteers fail to step forward. 
• Southwark – £120k cut to library staffing, East Street Library opening to be cut by six hours a week but open one more day.  Volunteers to be used to keep hours steady as paid staff cut.  Opening hours will be cut if insufficient volunteers found.

• Bolton – Trust’s big fear over libraries – Bolton News.  “The Civic Trust has written to the Chief Executive, and to all council leaders, a five page letter laying out detailed arguments and backed by planning and economic analysis, in many respects superior to Bolton Council’s own. The trust was right about the impact of Middlebrook on the town centre and also the impact of the Market Hall closure. We fear the council is now to be complicit in helping to cripple some of our neighbourhoods. We urge the council to think carefully.”
• Final decision on libraries axe may go to vote – Bolton News.   “Five libraries — Astley Bridge, Oxford Grove, Heaton, Highfield and Castle Hill — are earmarked for closure next year, with the council’s Labour executive due to rubber stamp the plans tomorrow in what promises to be a heated meeting at Festival Hall. But the decision could still be “called in” for scrutiny by opposition councillors — something The Bolton News understands is likely — and the final vote could then go to full council where all parties will get their say.”
• Letter from Bolton and District Civic Trust to Bolton Council.  A tour de force letter, showing how an objection should be made.  “The Civic Trust is deeply concerned at the potential impact of the Council’s proposal to close five libraries and believes it is essential that the Council should carefully reconsider its preferred decision and approach. Above the doorway of the former Halliwell library, on Hatfield Road, it states simply: ‘Let there be light’.”  See also this Covering Letter.

•  Brent – libraries verdict on Thursday – BookSeller.  “The judge, Mr Justice Ouseley, will deliver his verdict in the High Court on Thursday morning. The ruling will be the first judicial review judgement on council library closures to be delivered and will be watched keenly for its wider implications across the country. A judicial review ruling into Somerset and Gloucestershire’s library closures is also expected in the next few weeks. Brent library campaigners say they have now met their £30,000 target to meet their legal bills for the review, after a busy programme of fundraising events supported by authors including Alan Bennett and Jacqueline Wilson.”
• High Court to rule on library closures on Thursday – Brent and Kilburn Times.  “If the judge votes in favour of keeping the libraries open it will be a landmark case and could set a precedent for similar cases across the country.”.  Judgement expected at 10am.  Also reported (same article) as High Court to rule on library closures in Brent on Thursday – London 24. 
• Verdict to be announced on Thursday – Preston Library Campaign.  “The DCMS has met with Brent Council, but has yet to speak with campaigners or reveal the outcome of this meeting. Whatever the outcome, we want the Council to reconsider its approach and work with Brent residents to provide a comprehensive local library service.” … “Brent SOS Libraries is also seeking a separate public enquiry by the DCMS under the Museums and Libraries Act 1964. The council’s proposals will leave the borough with just 6 libraries, 3 of which require major upgrade/rebuilding. This does not constitute a “comprehensive” library service.”

• Cheshire East – Sandbach One Stop Shop is on the move – Crewe Chronicle.  Customer service desk moved from council offices into library.  Building closed for one week for refurbishment.  ““The council’s policy to put more customer service points in libraries aims to make better use of staffing and property resources, while also providing customers with an enhanced service. Westfields currently has about 300 customers a week. Sandbach Library has 500 users a day.” … “The move will benefit customers and hopefully encourage more people to use their local library by bringing these complementary resources under one convenient roof.”
• Homework help on offer at Middlewich Library – Middlewich Chronicle.   “Students researching an essay or project or are looking for books or resources to aid their studies will benefit during Help With Homework Week from October 17 to 21.”
• Hampshire – Fleet Library escapes but at what cost? – Fleet People.   “While Fleet has been identified as one of 11 key libraries in the county, and will be left as it is, it will however be expected to take up the slack and fill the gaps left by other local libraries where the service has been cut.” … “The belt-tightening plans are so widespread that almost every other library in the county would be closed at least one day weekly to try and make the service more affordable.”.  Consultation until Dec 28th.
• Hertfordshire – Activism, or how Hertfordshire is moving towards the “community library” – Information Overload.  “I thought we’d got off with simple opening hours cuts in Hertfordshire, but no. Those cuts were bad enough, in fact they were extremely drastic – we lost no less than a third of our public library access as a result. So drastic, in fact, that I realised when no-one else seemed to be speaking out about them, that it was down to me.” … “Time to throw open the doors. Let’s see if people will come in.”. Two-hour stops and increase in Home Library Service.
• North Yorkshire – Unveils “Supermobile” library timetable – Harrogate News.  “From October 24, North Yorkshire County Council’s supermobile will call at twenty two locations on a rolling fortnightly timetable. Unlike the conventional mobile libraries, which were withdrawn last month, the supermobile offers a superior service, carrying around 3,000 items of stock – including books, DVDs, videos, and audio books – and offering internet access via satellite.”
• Northamptonshire – Shared services could cut budgets for Northamptonshire – BBC.   “It’s a choice of cutting back office bureaucracy or front line services. But there are plenty of people in Northamptonshire who would like to see bus services back to what they were, school crossings restored and libraries better financed rather than more cuts,”  says Lib Dem opposition councillor.  Council is looking to share services with Cambridgeshire etc.
• Cuts could mean many years of pain – Evening Telegraph.   “Despite already cutting hundreds of jobs, switching off half the county’s street lights and all its speed cameras, slashing bus subsidies and calling up an army of volunteers to run libraries to help save £69m this year, the county council yesterday announced it needs to save a further £100m by 2016.”
• Plan for volunteer army to keep all libraries open – Evening Telegraph. “Northamptonshire County Council members are today set to debate a strategy which could see the number of library volunteers nearly quadruple from 457 to 1,600 in just four years.”…”Latest figures published by the council show that the county’s libraries receive more than three million visits a year, with each visit costing £1.67.”

 

Oxfordshire – What would you cut? – Question Everything.

When leader of council Keith Mitchell says cut libraries or social care, he may be

slightly overstating his case.

 What would you Cut? 3 – Oxfordshire Council videos events at a cost of nearly

£200 per view.

Hampshire – 20.5 FTE library worker posts cut.   

Local News

• Bolton – Travel time to libraries called into question – Bolton News.  “The veracity of Bolton Council’s review of the town’s library service has been called into question by the Bolton and District Civic Trust. The Trust believes the council has got its figures wrong in calculating the time it will take residents to travel to their nearest library.”
• Doncaster – Campaigners want library plan shelved – Epworth Bells.  Summary of cuts in Doncaster, council and campaigner positions.
• Gloucestershire – Nick Clegg backs the Echo’s Beat the Burglar campaign – This is Glos.  “When asked about other issues affecting the area, Mr Clegg also urged Gloucestershire County Council to take inspiration from elsewhere when considering cuts to libraries and youth centres. “They need to ask why other councils haven’t done that and maybe they can learn a lesson from other councils that have managed it,” he said.”
• Hampshire – Libraries’ opening hours set to be cut – Petersfield Post.   “Libraries across East Hampshire look set to be the latest public service to fall victim to cost cutting measures. Under new proposals tabled by Hampshire County Council, public libraries in Alton, Bordon, Grayshott, Liphook and Horndean will each have their opening hours cut.”

“As a county councillor I am absolutely appalled at the cuts. We have already had substantial cuts to the book funds over the last five years and we have lost most of our professional library staff.  Now we are cutting the opening hours. I think it is going in exactly the wrong direction – my heart goes out to the library staff that work so hard in Bordon.”

• Hertfordshire – Launch Statement – We Heart Libraries.   “We are pleased to announce the launch of We Heart Libraries – a people-driven campaign for everyone in North Herts and Stevenage who loves their libraries and wants to show it. We aim to celebrate everything that our public libraries bring to our communities and do for our citizens, as well as standing up for them in times of trouble.” … “We Heart Libraries co-founder Andy Darley said: “I grew up in Hitchin and the library was like a second home to me. As a child it was a place of magic and wonder, and it really matters to me that people all across our area – whatever their ages – should have the same opportunities I had.”
• North Yorkshire – Exclusive: rural life at “tipping point” as cuts slash services – Yorkshire Post.    “The study, by consultancy firm Rural Innovation, concludes that there is “no longer scope to continually pare down key public services” in the face of spending cuts and that the Big Society must be given an opportunity to take control.”.  Rural areas are suffering hardest from the cuts as “it is harder to deliver to dispersed populations and when you are pushing to meet delivery targets, the edges suffer quickest”
• Oxfordshire – Pullman’s spat with council over library cuts: the sequel – The Independent.   “Mr Mitchell said of Pullman and his fellow campaigners yesterday: “They are luvvies. If they ever needed social care they would be able to afford it [privately].”