Editorial

The local elections have shown a couple of things. The first is that the Conservatives are likely to win the next election, leading to the possibility of another decade of policies likely to minimise funding for local government, and thus library spending. The other is, as pointed out in coverage of Glasgow last week, how different things are Scotland. Libraries up there are in a different environment – although it may not feel like it in Glasgow – and may look forward, if independence happens, to funding on another level to that south of the border. However, if Scotland does go its own way then that’s a whole bunch of anti-Conservative MPs disappearing from the English parliament … and then heaven knows when the governing party will change down here.

National news

• Creating Impactful Engagement through Interactive Exhibitions; a Perspective from the National Archives for library professionals – British Library Living Knowledge Network. Thursday, May 13, 11am. “With plenty of tips for inspiring your own creative outreach projects, this webinar aims to inspire a new approach to your online engagement projects through a case study of the recent National Archives exhibition Letters of Love, Loss and Longing.”
• Ebooks: Scandal or Market Economics webinar – summary and links – UCL. ” The audience shared their own experiences of troubles caused by ebooks, with issues such as only half of the books in a key series being available in an ebook format, multiple examples of academics needing to rewrite module reading lists either to use books that the library already had or give several options for librarians to try locate since many were not easily available. In one instance an academic was told that she couldn’t use her own book in a course because it wasn’t available to buy as an ebook”
• Expert bank: Developing a communications and engagement plan – Libraries Connected.

• F**k I Think I’m Dying: Claire Eastham on Learning to Live with Panic – Reading Agency. Tuesday 11 May, 7pm. Mental Health Awareness week free event.
• International Booker Prize – Reading Agency. “Free digital packs are available to download from The Reading Agency Shop to promote the International Booker Prize and the Women’s Prize for Fiction in your library. The packs contain promotion guides with ready-to-use social media schedules and copy, as well as assets and links to reading group guides”
• Morrisons is giving away 50,000 FREE books to families – how to get one – The Sun. “The book is called “Cedric the Seed” and it will be distributed nationwide to local community groups and schools.” … “Morrisons has also launched a book donation and exchange station called the little library where children, teenagers and parents can take home any of the books available for free.”
• Opportunity for refugees and asylum seekers to contribute to research on UK public library services – Hazel Hall. “Do you know or work with adult refugees and/or asylum seekers who have lived in the UK for 5 years or fewer? If so, please could you let them know about this opportunity to contribute to an on-going research project within the Centre for Social Informatics by completing a short online questionnaire”
• Public Library Resilience: Innovations from the COVID Crisis – III. Thursday 20 May, 6am (3pm AEST), free webinar. “The health crisis has brought challenges and opportunities for public libraries. Even while buildings have been closed, libraries worked with determination and innovation to bring their services to users in new ways, reaching 3 out of 10 people (Carnegie UK Trust research). Innovative Interfaces has brought together two well-known thought leaders to discuss lessons from the past year, and opportunities for public libraries, in what promises to be a stimulating debate full of insights and ideas.”. [Including myself very early in the morning, and Roger Henshaw; Public Library Australia – Ed.]
• The role of fines in the libraries of today – CILIP. Survey. “Abolishing library fines is something we have seen more public libraries adopt both here in the UK and abroad but it is something that some cash strapped public libraries are not so keen to follow. Public Libraries News have done a round up of some of the key pros and cons and recent initiatives but we want to hear your opinion on the matter.”
• S4 Ep11 Arts Council England – Leading with James Ashton. Interview with Darren Henley. Says of libraries that ““love, cherish and continue to reinvent them”

International news

• Australia – Leading Public Libraries for the new normal – Jane Cowell. “Library Managers across the world have been leading their service through a crisis.For my library service, with various branches in a number of different locations, staff with varying levels of technical skills, and a situation that was changing fast — sometimes multiple times a day — there were some key leadership priorities that enabled our library service to remain viable.”
• Global – The most popular comics checked out from libraries worldwide – for kids and adults – Games Radar. “In the past 12 months, comics books and graphic novels were checked out over 15 million times from public libraries.”
• New Zealand – Reimagining a new Nelson library as an ideas factory – Stuff. “What has dominated news coverage and clamour are two reasons some people object to a new library: The price. The location. We have been focused on problems, not opportunities.” … “clever thinking about what a library could be would make it a hub of our 10 innovative economies, and the centrepoint of a knowledge industry ecosystem for the community, and our overall economy. It would foster other supporting elements of an innovation economy to grow up around it.”
• USA – Report Urges Library Leaders to Address Decline in Public Library Usage Stats – Publishers Weekly. “In a report published this week, veteran London-based bookseller, library advocate, and former Waterstones managing director Tim Coates warns that U.S. public library usage statistics show a steep decline—and he suggests that library leaders must do more to address the trend.”
  • 2021 Library Systems Report – American Libraries. Big changes due to Covid.

Local news by authority

• Argyll – liveArgyll’s leisure facilities and libraries open up again– Oban Times. Limited browsing.
• Bridgend – Awen Libraries Launches Virtual Tour – Awen Libraries. “Available to access from the new Awen Libraries website – www.awen-libraries.com – the virtual tour will allow users to travel through each of the library spaces by touching the screen of their digital device or the arrow keys on their computer keyboard.”
• Bury – Prestwich and Bury libraries to reopen for browsing – Bury Times. ” can visit between the hours of 1pm and 4pm, Tuesdays to Fridays.”
• Calderdale – New scheme to share the joy of reading with Calderdale residents – Halifax Courier. Reading Friends.
• Cheshire West and Chester – More Cheshire libraries to reopen as 8,000 visit current facilities in just one week – Northwich Guardian. “The libraries will be operating on temporary hours for browsing and public computer access.”
• Cumbria – Cumbria Libraries are looking for youth volunteers for their Summer Reading Challenge – Mail. “Young volunteers aged 13 to 24 are being asked to apply to help run the event, and full training will be provided.”
• Devon/Torbay – Zoom socials, craft, cooking, films and singing welcome those with dementia and carers – In Your Area. “Good Neighbours library membership to allow nominated friends or family to choose and return books for those unable to.” and “The Tovertafel – interactive games, sounds, lights and images projected onto a table at South Molton and Tavistock Libraries (available once they open)” and others.
• East Lothian – Chance to dedicate a book to a baby born during lockdown – East Lothian Courier. “Local libraries are hoping to see their Bookbug sessions – storytelling with parents and children aged up to five – return in Bookbug Week in mid-May.”
• Eilean Siar – Libraries open for browsing – Oban Times.
• Essex – Colchester Essex County Council candidates respond on future of libraries – Gazette News. “The campaign group asked each Colchester candidate for Tory-run County Hall whether they would vote to keep all libraries in Essex open, with paid and trained staff, and oppose community-run facilities. Collective responses were received from the Green candidates who promised they would and called for space lost at Colchester Library to make room for council offices to be reversed.”
• Hertfordshire – Coming to a library near you – Hertfordshire Council. “Each child visiting a Hertfordshire library from Thursday 13 May will be gifted a brightly coloured ‘Growing into Reading’ giant bookmark and a ‘throw and go’ wildflower seed bomb to take home (whilst stocks last). At their next visit to a library, children can get their special bookmark stamped to help cultivate a love of reading and to make library visits a regular activity.”
• Isle of Wight – World Book Night: Feel-good short stories handed out on Isle of Wight – Isle of Wight Radio. “The service gave out 160 copies of ‘Stories to Make You Smile’ — described as “a seriously entertaining collection of feelgood stories guaranteed to put the smile back on your face” — as part of the annual World Book Night celebration.”
• Lancashire – Chorley Library is to close for about two weeks for essential maintenance – Chorley Guardian. “The library will be closed to the public from Monday, May 10 while work takes place to the building’s heating and electricity systems.”
• Leeds – Loving Leeds Libraries during lockdown – South Leeds Life. “n October 2019, Leeds Libraries went fine-free, including forgiving old fines. Thank goodness, as using the library has been a huge help to me during the lockdowns. It has also helped me in my efforts to stop using that huge online shop as much as I was (difficult when all essential shops were closed). Now, when I hear, see, read, am told about a great book instead of clicking the “Buy It Now” button, I search for the book on the Leeds Libraries app”
• Middlesbrough – Think you know Middlesbrough? Have a go at quirky quiz that will put your grey matter to the test – Gazette Live. Local History Month. “Middlesbrough Libraries is running a clever quiz based on a book in its archives called ‘Middlesbrough Folk – Can You Answer This?’ originally published in 1929. ‘A booklet of questions and answers of local interest’ it says and Middlesbrough Central Library’s Paul Blades has picked out some teasers which show how busy the town and its townsfolk were almost a century ago.”
• North Yorkshire – Libraries go back to nature for Mental Health Awareness Week – North Yorkshire County Council. Includes an online talk, displays, quiz. “If you borrow a book from Selby library during the week, you will receive a bean and growing instructions and will be invited to share your pictures as your beanstalks grow. At Northallerton library you can pick up a sunflower seed and take the challenge to grow the tallest sunflower.”
  • Libraries offer more support for people doing British citizenship test – Northern Echo. “Go Citizen, an online study resource for candidates preparing for either of the tests.”
  • North Yorkshire libraries offer help to learner drivers – Richmondshire Today. “Officials say Theory Test Pro is a highly realistic online simulation of the UK’s driving theory test.”
• Oxfordshire – All the places you can recycle small electricals in Oxfordshire – Oxford Mail. “Oxfordshire County Council has restarted the scheme, which was suspended while libraries were operating a click-and-collect service only.”
• Pembrokeshire – Libraries reopening across Pembrokeshire for browsing on Monday – Western Telegraph. Browsing.
• Sheffield – Four libraries in Sheffield to reopen next week – this is what you need to know – The Star. “beginning Monday, May 10, when Central, Crystal Peaks, Ecclesall and Hillsborough libraries will reopen for people to browse and select their own books.”
• Suffolk – Free Speech – A Suffolk Libraries’ Podcast – Journeys to Recovery (Ep. 34) – Suffolk Libraries. “celebrates public libraries’ history as spaces for free learning and freedom of speech.”
• Swindon – More Swindon library services returning on May 17 – Swindon Advertiser. “Libraries run by Swindon Borough Council are now open again for limited services – but more facilities will be open come when lockdown eases further in the middle of the month”
• Vale of Glamorgan – Penarth library reopens after refurbishment – Penarth Times. “Funded jointly by the Vale of Glamorgan Council and Welsh Government, the redecorated ground floor includes new furniture, enquiry desk, carpet and shelving. “. Come children’s stock moved to another location “so that the regular programme of children’s activities, including Rhyme & Sign and Story Times, can take place in a larger space this summer.”
• Worcestershire – Tenbury library taking on support role for the lonely and isolated in community – Ludlow Advertiser. Reading Friends.

Editorial

The campaign against the cuts to Glasgow libraries are notable for a few reasons. First thing to note that, by English standards, they’re not actually all that bad – just a few closed, moved or made volunteer. That sort of thing would raise a few placards south of the border but not the big coverage that it is getting in Scotland’s second city. Cuts to public services are taken more seriously up there evidently, even though the Conservative protests about them should be taken with the pained ironic wince it deserves. Finally, it’s worth pointing out that the cuts are not caused by the council but rather because the libraries are run by the local leisure trust, whose financial model has been temporarily wrecked by covid. If the service was run by the council then, presumably, the cuts would not have even happened. But, then, North Ayrshire is also going through cuts so maybe not.

The other thing to note this week, possibly with more pain than irony, are the Cipfa DCMS funded reports on how local library services are doing compared to each-other. Despite Cipfa being the sector by-word for slowness, disinterest and price-gouging, one has to admit that these comparator reports have improved slightly. Initially produced in 2012, back then one could only compare services with a small number of other library services – almost as if Cipfa was keen not to share data that it could otherwise charge through the nose for – but at least now one can see how each service is doing in comparison to every other library service in the country. It’s still out of date of course, and only four-fifths of councils bother contributing, but it is better than it was. We just need to wait now for the 150 councils to work together (and, even, gosh, share their data for free) and bypass Cipfa altogether but, until that happy day, this is probably the best that this supposed sector of information sectors is going to get.

Changes by local authority

• Northamptonshire – Volunteers reopen Abington library.
• North Ayrshire – Proposed cuts include Dreghorn and Saltcoats libraries moving into community centres; Irvine Library relocation, closure of Springside Library, Bourtreehill Library may become volunteer, Ardrossan Library to move into school.
• Stockport –  Central library services have moved to an alternative site temporarily due to the cost of making the Central Library building covid safe during the pandemic (source: email from the service)
• Warrington – Museum and Library to temporarily move while £360k restoration works carried out.

National news

• DCMS funded Report 2020 – Cipfa. “Download the report comparing each English library authority that returned data (121 of the 150 councils in England have been published: report updated March 2021) with their family group, as defined by the CIPFA Nearest Neighbours Model.”
• Libraries on the high street – Libraries Hacked. “With the OS high streets, and ‘good enough’ data on libraries I looked at how many libraries are directly on a high street: about 25%.” … “With the OS high streets, and ‘good enough’ data on libraries I looked at how many libraries are directly on a high street: about 25%.”

• Library Campaign Zoom meeting 14 April 2021 Update – Library Campaign. “Among the points to emerge were: · All Friends groups are valuable, whether they are fighting cuts or supporting a service that isn’t in crisis. · Many groups produce useful material that could be shared. · The government (DCMS) has a legal duty to ensure good services … but doesn’t. · National library bodies seldom do things that library users see as high priority – such as… ·  Demonstrate that libraries are great value for money · Run a publicity campaign for public libraries, perhaps centred on social media.”
• Pandemic shows how ‘digital by default’ government services exclude those who need them most – Business Reporter. “And with libraries closed many are more cut off than ever before. Indeed, people rely on libraries for online access – a place to search for jobs, answer emails, access educational resources and stay in touch with the outside world.”

• Senior Lecturer to host online workshop in collaboration with BBC Arts and the British Library – FE News. “A Senior Lecturer at Leeds Trinity University has been invited to deliver an online games workshop and participate in a panel discussion as part of an event organised by Leeds Libraries in collaboration with BBC Arts and the British Library.”
• Webinar for those planning events outside – Libraries Connected. 18 May, 1.30pm.
• Working Internationally Conference 2021 – CILIP. 25 June. “The 2021 Working Internationally Conference explores ways of connecting with library services from across the world to inspire and inform your library service back home. A unique programme of panel sessions, presentations, and hands-on workshops draws on speakers from a diverse range of regions – UK, Europe, Canada, Africa, and the Middle East – to share best practices, spotlight new ideas, and showcase successful examples of international working projects. “

International news

• Canada – Libraries close, vaccine rollout enhances – High River Times. “Alberta libraries were told to close their doors yet again as Covid-19 cases continue to rise and the province tries to issue as many vaccines as possible.”
  • Traditional Picnic Game Lending Library (cochranepubliclibrary.ca) – Cochrane Public Library. “We are so proud to announce that starting Monday July 27, patrons will now be able to check out a number of fun traditional picnic games”
• Denmark – A haven in our community: The impact and value of public libraries – Christian Lauersen. ” In the Danish public the debate about libraries often refers to a handful of established key figures: How many people visit our public libraries and how many materials do they borrow. Important data that says something about the use of public libraries but not really gives us insight on the value and impact public libraries have on individuals and communities.”
• Global / Ireland – Libraries of Sanctuary: Supporting Migrant Communities – LibFocus. Survey of the Libraries of Sanctuary movement.
• Japan – Japanese library inspired by forests celebrates communal learning – Wallpaper. “Spanning two floors, the building interior is defined by its expressive wooden shelving system – at places appearing very tall, reaching double heights, and at others peeking over the floor at much lower levels, so that people can look over and connect visually with the environment. “
• South Africa – S.Africa’s UCT campus salvaging books from burned library – Reuters. Horrifying pictures. “”It was horrifying. It was a deep-seated sadness that this had to happen because some things are irreplaceable,” Satgoor, executive director of libraries at UCT, told Reuters.” … ” large parts of the African Studies monographed collection of published books was destroyed, as well as rare 19th century dictionaries from around the continent and a valuable African DVD films collection of around 3,500 films”
• South Korea – South Korea’s ‘study with me’ videos bring back camaraderie of libraries amid COVID-19 – ABC News. “In one case, the individual livestreams every single second of studying with a stopwatch on one corner of the screen. In the other, the videos are more produced and include the sounds of raindrops, wood-cracking, ASMR or relaxing music.”
• USA – Why overdue book fines could soon be history at Louisville public libraries – Courier Journal. “Just last week, Boston Public Library moved to eliminate late fines. It would join city systems such as San Diego, Chicago and Baltimore. In Kentucky, roughly 25 counties already have ended the fees, according to the Kentucky Public Library Association.”
  • Cleveland’s libraries ready for next chapter as $100 million upgrade unfolds – The Land. “The first four branches to be upgraded will have outdoor spaces. Woodland will get an outdoor classroom and performance space.”
  • This Nickelodeon show features a magical secret library – I Love Libraries. “Nickelodeon’s Welcome to the Wayne, created by Billy Lopez. It features a library that exemplifies the series’ quirkiness.”
  • “Whispering Libraries” are coming to Brooklyn this summer – Time Out. “The Brooklyn Public Library is launching a curated “audio experience” at 10 library branches across Brooklyn. Each branch will hide speakers outside and play music, poetry, oral histories, podcast excerpts, and spoken literature up to five times a day, sometimes as early as 7:30am.”

Local news by authority

• Aberdeenshire – Ellon Service Point to reopen in new home – Grampian Online. “Customer service points closed temporarily in December “. Reopening in library.
• Bridgend – Self-Service Scanners Help Keep Book Borrowers Safe – Awen Cultural Trust. “new self-service machines at Aberkenfig, Maesteg, Pencoed, Porthcawl and Pyle libraries to help keep book borrowers safe during the coronavirus pandemic and beyond.”
• Cardiff – Libraries in Cardiff re-open for browsing for first time in more than a year – Wales Online. “Members of libraries across the city can now browse bookshelves, but only after booking a slot. Each slot is limited to 25 minutes to view and choose which books to borrow.”
• Cheshire West and Chester – Cheshire librarian Jenny hailed as Local Service Champion – The Standard. Jenny Evans, Frodsham Library. “Unison general secretary Christina McAnea said: “Jenny is a true public servant. Her inspiring story is a testament to the dedication of so many local authority workers, who don’t always get the recognition they deserve.”
• Darlington – Libraries to develop events for children – Northern Echo. “Darlington Borough Council’s local services scrutiny committee heard the last year saw a 49 per cent drop in items borrowed by adults, from 171,000 to 88,000, but a 70 per cent drop in the number of items children borrowed. Library bosses told councillors with more junior borrowers lost over the pandemic, they were planning activities, events and experiences to draw children and families to its libraries in Crown Street and Cockerton again.”
• Devon – Totnes phone boxes could be libraries or art installations – In Your Area. “If adopted, they will need to be used for a community project such as a mini library, an art installation or even to house a defibrillator.”
• Booktrack success for Fraya, 10 – Exmouth Journal. “An Exmouth youngster celebrated reading 100 books by having an ice cream from Antonio’s. Fraya Radcliffe, aged 10, who attends Beacon Primary School, won her Booktrack award having read 100 books at Exmouth Library. “
• Dundee – When will your local community centre open? Phased return announced in Dundee – Courier. Browsing.
• Essex – Take away Covid self tests from Thaxted library – Dunmow Broadcast. “Covid self-test lateral flow kits to take away are now available at a further 14 libraries in Essex, and from Friday (April 23) this includes Thaxted Library.”
• Glasgow – Plans for public protests for Whiteinch, Langside and Pollokshields libraries – Glasgow Times. “Today the Save Glasgow Libraries Campaign is restarting its read-ins outside Langside and Pollokshields libraries. And Save Whiteinch Library is putting out a call for locals to back plans for a “protest spot” outside the under-threat building.”
  • Glasgow Life respond to our Save Our Venues campaign with updated list – Glasgow Times. Maryhill and Whiteinch libraries may move into leisure centres.

• Glasgow Times calls on city to save our vital public venues – Glasgow Times. “The financial impact of the lockdown is obvious. Glasgow Life lost almost £40m in 2020/21 as a result of the lockdown and relied on more than £75m funding from the council to say afloat.” Newspaper calls for “A full library service to remain in their communities and avoid more empty premises in communities.”
  • Invest in public libraries and not politicians’ fantasy fiction – Daily Record. “Daily Record columnist Darren McGarvey says why can’t public services such as libraries be ring-fenced or, dare I say it, awarded serious investment? … “while the building you have always thought of as “the library” may not be reopening, this does not mean the library is closing. What is closing is the building that everyone knows as the library. Are you following me?”
  • Nicola Sturgeon accused of ‘shameful neglect’ as over 50 sports, community & library facilities won’t reopen in Glasgow – Scottish Sun. Scottish Conservatives say SNP using Covid as an “excuse” is “shameful.
  • ‘We got it wrong on informing about libraries – I apologise’ – Glasgow West End. Glasgow Life apologises not for the closures but for mishandling public relations about it. ““I think it has been, unfortunately, badly communicated to the communities about what we were trying to do.” … “McDonald said short-term pop-up libraries that were now being planned were a response to those feeling”
• Hertfordshire – Pyjamarama is back for 2021 – Hertfordshire Council. “Hertfordshire Libraries will be joining in with the online events hosted on Friday 14 May by BookTrust.”
• Leicester – Leicester residents urged to get involved for World Book Night – In Your Area. Zoom talk. “It will feature conversations by artists about the book Taking Up Space: The Black Girl’s Manifesto For Change, by Chelsea Kwakye and Ore Ogunbiyi.”
• Leicestershire – Ashby library to welcome Poet Laureate at virtual ‘A-Z’ tour – In Your Area. “A Leicestershire library will virtually host Simon Armitage this month as he embarks on his ten-year A-Z tour of UK libraries. On Monday, April 26, Ashby Library will welcome Simon, the current Poet Laureate, as he uses the alphabet as a guide to visit libraries across the country.”
• Manchester – Read Manchester’s Spring Big Book Giveaway – MancLibraries Blog. “We’ve a spring in our step when we look through the figures from our recent Big Book Giveaway. Over the Easter period we gifted 10,444 books and 4,633 magazines to children and young people across the city. This figure takes our total to 55,724 books and magazines gifted locally since the first lockdown was announced in March 2021.”
• Northamptonshire – Abington Library in Northampton reopens to the public after being saved by the community – Northampton Chronicle. Volunteers reopen closed library “The opening times are 10-2 on Tuesdays, 2-4 on Thursdays and Fridays, and, starting on June 4, on the first Saturday of every month there will be a coffee morning.”
• North Ayrshire – North Ayrshire libraries and community buildings face cutbacks as council review 40 properties – Daily Record. “The fate of 40 community centres, libraries and halls in North Ayrshire will be decided in June. People have until Wednesday, May 5 to comment on future proposals for the buildings and the council is inviting more feedback. The council is considering closing Dreghorn Library near Irvine and moving it to Townend Community Centre. Irvine Library could also be relocated to Bridgegate House under proposals with the building rented out. Meanwhile, bosses are looking at using Springside Library for another function and lending books through click-and-collect services. They are also looking at community asset transfers for Kilwinning’s Whitehirst Park Community Centre and Woodwynd Hall and Irvine’s Bourtreehill Library.”
• North Yorkshire – Library customers share their delight at being back in branches – North Yorkshire County Council. “In the first week of reopening from 12 April, the county’s libraries welcomed 5,125 visitors, who borrowed almost 21,000 books, and hosted 1,350 IT sessions.”
• Oxfordshire – Libraries to re-open – Henley Standard.
• Pembrokeshire – Order and Collect service to begin at Crymych Library – Western Telegraph.
• Suffolk – Suffolk Literacy Hub: Community consultation – National Literacy Trust. “The National Literacy Trust is launching a literacy hub based in Suffolk and we want our activities to be informed by those who are most likely to be involved. “
• Warrington – Steven Broomhead on library’s temporary move to Golden Square – Warrington Guardian. “proposals to temporarily move Warrington Museum and Library to Golden Square Shopping Centre. The grade two listed building’s roof requires urgent repairs, meaning the premises will be out of use for much of the remainder of 2021. While six months of £360,000 restoration works are carried out, services will be relocated to a ‘pop up’ site in the former USC store in the Mall from next month.”
  • Bright future for town’s libraries says council chief – Warrington Worldwide. ““The past 12 months have shown us the hugely important role community facilities play in people’s lives. The closure of these facilities for safety reasons has taken away a real lifeline for many residents. It has served as a reminder of how important facilities such as our libraries and leisure centres are for the wellbeing of our communities.”
• West Lothian – West Lothian libraries will open their doors from next week – Daily Record. Browsing and PC access.
• Worcestershire – Wrexham Library to reopen to the public on an appointment basis as part of a phased reopening – Wrexham.com – Bromsgrove Standard. Browsing. “Only storytime sessions for pre-school children will be re-introduced at a later date, April 22.”
• Wrexham – Wrexham Library to reopen to the public on an appointment basis as part of a phased reopening – Wrexham.com. Browsing by appointment.

Editorial

Public libraries in England can open for browsing this week after more than three months of being closed. It is possible, what the vaccinations, that this will be last lockdown. Let us earnestly hope that it is and let us also wish the best for those thousands of library workers back in the front line tomorrow. Here’s to the thought that libraries, that will still tomorrow be quarantining items and have social distancing in place, will be able safely at some point this year be able to ditch the security measures and have events and what we used to consider the “normal” buzz of library life. And that the very thought of it does not sound strange. Make a silent wish with me, folks, and open those doors in a properly risk assessed manner in the meantime.

National news

• CILIP to receive £320,000 from the Government’s Culture Recovery Fund – CILIP. “CILIP is among more than 2,700 recipients to benefit from the latest round of awards from the £1.57 billion Culture Recovery Fund. This award will enable us to continue to develop a sponsorship programme for the Carnegie Greenaway Awards, invest in our training and CPD offer to support the sector and drive forward our digital transformation programme to ensure that CILIP’s resources, help and guidance are effective and accessibly for all our members.”
• Community book exchanges flourished while libraries were closed in lockdown – I. “With bookshops, libraries and charity shops closed for much of the year, book lovers desperate for fresh reading material took matters into their own hands. Book exchanges popped up all over the country” … “Libraries and bookshops may soon be opening their doors again, but book exchanges are here to stay”
• The Fight for Britain’s Libraries – Tribune / Alan Wylie. “And although there have been some articles written about the great work done by libraries during the pandemic, it’s actually library workers who have done the work – a subtle yet crucial distinction. Working from home has caused its own divisions, with lower-grade staff more likely to be working on the frontline than their higher-grade managers.”
• Library Dividend: Encourage candidates in the May 6th Local Elections to celebrate the #LibraryDividend – CILIP. “CILIP is asking our members to reach out to your local candidates and encourage them to recognise the ‘Library Dividend’ – the tremendous social and economic impact of supporting strong local library services.”
• A Love Letter to Libraries – Varsity. “We must protect libraries, academic and local, if we want to continue to make information, resources, and that indescribable ‘library experience’ – which I’ve been trying so hard to capture – accessible. “
• An open letter to Kwasi Kwarteng – BookSeller. List of suggestions, including “Enhanced support for public libraries via central government, in particular for educational materials (including non-English-language materials to help with the levelling up agenda) and for digital access, ebooks, and downloadable audio.”
• Public Libraries Project of the Year Grant Award – National Acquisitions Group. “NAG are pleased to announce that their Public Libraries Project of the Year Grant for 2021 has been awarded to Wandsworth Libraries with their “Roehampton Kaleidoscope” and Derbyshire Libraries with “Read, Play, Puzzle” and each will receive £5,000 from the National Acquisitions Group.”
• Service recovery toolkit – April 2021 Word – LIbraries Connected. “This Service Recovery Toolkit has been prepared in consultation with Public Health England (PHE) and the Health and Safety Executive (HSE). Updated 12.04.21”
• Simon Armitage to embark on decade-long UK library tour – BookSeller. “Beginning with the letters “A” and “B” this spring, the tour launches in in Ashby-de-la-Zouch and will visit a variety of libraries during the week, stopping in Belper, Aberdeen, Bacup and Bootle. The week will include a reading from the entrance hall of the British Library featuring Joelle Taylor, founder of the national youth slam championships SLAMbassadors, and Theresa Lola, Young People’s Laureate for London 2019-2020. Readings from the first week of his trip will be streamed live from 26th April to 1st May.”

“It would have been easy to stream these events from my office or garden shed, but at a time when libraries are under threat and have been out of bounds during lockdown, reading from inside their physical structures feels like an act of solidarity — with books, with poetry and with communities.”

Simon Armitage

• Using Hublet at Northamptonshire Libraries – National Acquisitions Group. 11am Wednesday 28 April webinar. “Hublet is a system of self service tablet loan units for public libraries.  The tablet is released from the docking station by showing a library card and typing in the corresponding PIN code …”
  • Quickstart Cataloguing (RDA in MARC) – 19 May 11am.
  • Quickstart Cataloguing: Local Studies Materials – 26 May 11am.

International news

• Global – Rebuild Your Summer Reading Program! Here Are Ten Tips To Boost Participation This Year – Super Library Marketing. Drop library card requirement, make joining easy, let adults do it, add experiences, have an app, use partners, email promotion, targeted advertising, competitions, good public service.
• USA – The spy who came in from the carrel – Public Books. ” “The keeping of these records is itself a kind of warfare,” MacLeish explained. “The keepers, whether they wish so or not, cannot be neutral.””
  • How the New York Public Library Is Equipping Artists With Technology (for Free) as the Pandemic Shutdown Continues – Playbill. “The Library has developed “Tech Kits for Performing Artists,” available to check out for any NYPL cardholder 18 or older. Contents include an iPad Pro with cellular data and a suite of creation-oriented apps, a USB microphone, wireless headphones, a ring light, and a phone tripod stand; those with musical pursuits can also request a 32-key MIDI keyboard.”

Local news by authority

• Bath and North East Somerset – Libraries across Bath and surrounding area to offer Covid-safe browsing – Bath Echo. “residents will be able to browse the resources available at Bath, Keynsham and Midsomer Norton libraries.” … “To ensure social distancing, the number of people entering a library at any one time will be limited, and a dropbox will be available at the entrance to each library.”
• Bolton – Bolton libraries to open on Monday – here’s how it will work – Bolton News. Browsing, full open hours.
• Essex – Residents reminded to pick-up tests from Tendring libraries – Clacton and Frinton Gazette. Covid collection points.
  • Essex County Council candidates asked to back library campaign – Gazette Standard. “The Colchester branch of Save Our Libraries Essex (SOLE) is asking all candidates for May’s election to set out their position on libraries. The future of facilities across Essex has been in doubt since 2018 when a County Hall strategy document set out plans to close 25 of 74 libraries and remove ongoing support for 18 more.”
• Falkirk – Falkirk district libraries to reopen and offer click and collect service – Falkirk Herald.
• Glasgow – When Glasgow libraries reopen as lockdown eases in Scotland – Glasgow Live. Branches open at variety of different times and levels from 27 April.
• Isle of Wight – Isle of Wight libraries to extend services next week – Isle of Wight County Press. Browsing.
• Northern Ireland – Consultation on the proposal to extend remote e-lending from public libraries to Northern Ireland – Gov.uk. Allows public lending right for ebooks in Northern Ireland.
• North Yorkshire – Colburn library refurbished to inspire young readers – Darlington and Stockton Times. “About £40,000 has been spent on Colburn’s library which will also feature a community space that will host a variety of events appealing to all age ranges, from a coding club for younger people to a Knit and Natter gathering for those a little older. The refurbishment has been carried out by the charity Catterick, Colburn and Richmond Community Libraries (CRAACL) which was formed in 2017 to take on the running of the libraries when they were threatened with closure by the county council.”
  • Libraries set to welcome customers back to choose books – North Yorkshire County Council. Browsing and computer from 12 April.
• Manchester – Using libraries during COVID-19 – Manchester City Council. More services from 12 April.
  • Manchester’s Inaugural ‘Festival of Libraries’ Announced – About Manchester. “Manchester UNESCO City of Literature’s inaugural Festival of Libraries, a brand-new county-wide celebration of Greater Manchester’s 133 libraries, will take place from Wednesday 9th to Sunday 13th June, 2021. The festival, which is supported by Arts Council England, will feature a vibrant programme that highlights the library network’s full offer, across wellbeing, culture and creativity, digital and information, and, of course, reading.”
• Oxfordshire – The Oxfordshire libraries reopening in May and their Covid rules – Oxford Mail. Phased reopening.
• Peterborough – Peterborough libraries to re-open on Monday – Peterborough Today. Browsing from 12 April.
• Rochdale – Rochdale council opens six libraries to help people complete the census – In Your Area. “Number One Riverside, Alkrington Library, Balderstone Library, Castleton Library, Darnhill Library and Spotland Library have been opened so residents can see someone to answer any questions and access the internet for free to complete the census.”
• Rutland – Libraries to reopen in Oakham, Uppingham, Ketton, Ryhall and Stamford – Rutland and Stamford Mercury. “Rutland Library Service is offering an amnesty on long overdue books and DVDs as Covid-19 lockdown restrictions are gradually lifted and buildings reopen.”, browsing, order and collect, computers. ““Many Rutlanders don’t realise that our libraries don’t charge for overdue items, and may be reluctant to return books because they’re worried about late fees.”
• Shropshire – Shropshire announces libraries and facilities reopening for Monday – Whitchurch Herald. “Opening hours will be reduced for the time being and Covid-19-secure measures will be in place in all libraries to help keep staff, customers and communities safe. Library customers will be able to access computers, but are asked to book sessions in advance by contacting the relevant library.”
• South Lanarkshire – Gyms, pools and libraries preparing to reopen – Daily Record. “Following on from the Scottish Government’s announcement on easing Covid-19 restrictions, a number of services will be back up and running from Monday, April 26.”
• Staffordshire – 17 vital questions answered on proposal to move Burton Library – Staffordshire Live. “The group behind proposals to move Burton Library into the town’s Market Hall have answered a series of questions people have been asking about the controversial proposals. Staffordshire Live has now put the 17 questions to the Burton Town Board which came up with the idea to move the library as part of a series of proposals aimed at breathing new life into the town centre.”
• Warwickshire – ‘Grab and go’ rules when Warwickshire’s libraries reopen – Coventry Telegraph. 30 minute browsing.
• West Sussex – West Sussex Libraries reopen for browsing next week – Crawley and Horley Observer. All open for limited browsing and computers.
• Wiltshire – Council reveals opening of Tidworth & Ludgershall libraries – Andover Advertiser. “In line with the Wiltshire Council Roadmap, Wiltshire’s 34 libraries (including mobile libraries) are taking a cautious approach to reopening. As lockdown is eased, opening hours and services will be increased in a phased way over the next few months. For individual opening times and days please check the links below.”
• Wirral – ‘Order and collect’ from Wirral libraries as lockdown eases – Wirral Globe. Order and collect from 12 April.
• Worcestershire – Covid home testing kits now available from local libraries – Evesham Observer.
• Wrexham – Wrexham Library Service: looking forward to welcoming you back – The Leader. Browse, order and collect soon.
• York – Let’s explore together again – York Explore. Browsing and bookable PCs.

Editorial

Welsh public libraries can reopen, carefully, now, with England a fortnight later and Scotland two weeks after that. I think this is the third time of reopening (I may have lost count) after a lockdown and let us hope it is the last. Apart from the normal news, there’s a fair bit about what the future will look like, with contactless and the need to concentrate on digital as well as physical being unsurprisingly foremost. Away from the news headlines, there is a also a lot of interest in cashless ways of paying fines, with of course the most cashless way being not to charge fines at all.

Changes by local authority

• Derbyshire – Killamarsh Library may move into new sports centre.
• Warrington – Padgate Library £142k refurbishment.

National news

• Commissioning: Future Funding Webinar – Libraries Connected. Recording. “This workshop sheds light on the processes around procurement, with advice on how best to approach these, and the ways that library services can engage with commissioners outside the procurement process. It is suitable for all library staff.”
• Covid: ‘Christmas Day’ for families as Wales lifts travel ban – BBC. “Organised outdoor activities and sports for under-18s can resume and libraries and archives can reopen their doors.”

“Canongate are offering 10 authorities the opportunity to each receiving 1,000 copies of The Midnight Library by Matt Haig for World Book Night, with the aim of reaching adults who don’t regularly read for pleasure or have access to books. We’re inviting authorities to sign up to apply by 1 April, briefly outlining how they can reach those people (we don’t need exact plans as we appreciate it’s next week). All the details are on this form: https://bit.ly/WBNTML”

The Reading Agency

• “Libraries changed my life”: Author Kelly Yang on the mysterious power of reading – Book Trust. “I remember hiding in the library during lunch, crouching in between the aisles, hoping the librarian wouldn’t see me because we weren’t really supposed to be in the library at lunch. The librarian, of course, saw me. She came over, smiled at me — no judgement — and handed me a book. “
• The library dividend – BookSeller. Nick Poole of CILIP writes. “Unless we can find a better way to pay for libraries, chances are we will see hundreds more closures in the next two to three years as we address the cost of public borrowing during the pandemic.” … “It is to address this that CILIP has been funded by the Arts Council England to lead a new Independent Review into Public Library Financing. The Review will explore innovative models for the financing of public libraries while still retaining their core identity as public services.”
• Public Library Recovery: Lessons and Opportunities from the COVID Crisis – Innovative. Including Isobel Hunter from Libraries Connected. Recording.
• Public Library Staff Introduction to materials on personal resilience – Libraries Connected. 8 April, 12 noon. “Using materials developed for the Leading Libraries Programme, we will demonstrate how these may be used locally to facilitate small team sessions.”
• Queers in the Library – The Coast is Queer. Recorded online panel “discusses the potential of libraries as spaces for generating and nurturing queer communities as well as the limits of certain institutional forms of librarianship. Our panelists comprise workers in university and public libraries as well as creators of queer community libraries.”
• UK councils funding crisis threatens essential services – World Socialist Web Site. “From April, the NAO expects remaining special educational needs and homelessness services to be gutted, while more theatres, libraries and community centres face closure.”
• #uklibchat 12th April 2021 – #ebookSOS – UK Libchat. “If you work with e-books in any capacity, you may well have heard of #ebookSOS – a campaign to raise awareness and instigate change in the pricing, accessibility and functionality of e-books. Rachel Bickley and Caroline Ball will be helping us to lead this Twitter chat”

International news

• Canada – Woman dead, six in hospital after stabbing spree at North Vancouver library – Vancouver Sun. Just awful.
• EU – Boosting Digital Skills and Competences for Librarians – Biblio. “The Biblio Consortium is inviting you to join the webinar on 31 March at 10:00-11:45 (CET). The project partners will talk about the new trends and requirements in the professional development of librarians; present the findings of the research on skills and training needs in the library sector”
• Global – The Tech Landscape & Libraries – 2021 – Princh. Suggestions for the future: “Post-pandemic, we must be prepared to offer some virtual programming, and commit to improving the quality of the offerings.”, more digital, more contactless, streaming, VR.
• New Zealand – A last bastion of public space? Why the fight over Wellington’s library was so fiery – Spinoff. “Wellington Central Library has been at the centre of an increasingly bitter dispute in recent weeks, after the city council voted to sell off part of the library building as office space. In response to loud and wide condemnation, several councillors had a change of heart and the library was given a reprieve. “
• USA – The Future of Libraries Is in the Community – Bloomberg. ““Libraries are going to recognize that their role is not just within the walls of their buildings, but it is across the landscape of their community and in people’s homes,””
  • ‘Avoid terms like white supremacy’: Free Library workers furious over diversity training – Philadelphia Inquirer. “a presenter told the nearly 200 attendees to avoid terms like white supremacy and systemic racism because they were overused, distracted from solutions, and focused on just one race. White privilege — which she called “one of the other myths out there” — was another to avoid.”

Local news by authority

• Barnet – Last chance to save old Hendon Library – Change. “The council are now planning to lease the entire building to Middlesex University.   Everything but the façade will be demolished and rebuilt.   “
• Cheshire West and Chester – eBooks: New app to access eBooks for library members in Cheshire West – The Standard. Borrowbox.
• Coventry – Coventry taps into literary heritage with new £97k ‘One Million Reads’ project for UK City of Culture – Coventry Observer. “One million reads in a year – is the target for city book fans after Coventry Libraries and Information Service won the award. An artist will be commissioned to create a One Million Reads Coventry interactive digital read-o-meter installation counting the number of reads completed during 2021/22 building up to a One Million Reads total by May 2022.”

“”Public libraries are also a vital component in tackling digital exclusion. A priority of Coventry Libraries is to create improved access to digital services and increase the digital literacy skills of local residents. During 2019 to 2020 Coventry Libraries in the North East of the City have provided over 70,000 hours and over 100,000 sessions of access to public computers and Wi-Fi services. While reduced service has been provided during 2020, due to COVID 19, they are continuing with plans to increase access to public PCs, install new computers at both Bell Green and Foleshill Libraries and reintroduce computer help sessions, job clubs and benefits, debt and housing advice sessions.”

Carol Dinenage, Minister of State, DCMS.

• Denbighshire – Welcome back to your local Library and One Stop Shop – News From Wales. “Libraries across Denbighshire will be re-opening their doors from Monday, March 29 for browsing for books, using a computer and printing, and accessing One Stop Shop services. To ensure a safe visit, customers will need to phone their local library to make an appointment to visit.”
• Derbyshire – Councils in talks over bright future for Killamarsh library – Derbyshire County Council. “we’ve been discussing the possibility of moving the library into the newly-refurbished sports centre with North East Derbyshire District Council”
• Essex – Essex libraries on board in new Covid-19 test collection scheme – In Your Area. “From Monday, March 29, Covid-19 testing will be even more accessible and convenient with self-test kits available for collection at 21 libraries across Essex.”
• Gateshead – Phased reopening of leisure centres and libraries – Gateshead Council. From 29 March “The Library Ring and Read service will resume as well as limited access to public computers for essential purposes at Gateshead Central, Blaydon, Birtley, Leam Lane, Crawcrook, Chopwell and Pelaw.” then from 12 April “Reduced hours Library access for a selection of books will resume.”
• Glasgow – Ten Glasgow libraries to reopen for computer access only – Glasgow Live. “Under the Scottish Government covid guidance, public libraries in level 4 areas are allowed to open to provide free computer access only. Following the latest Scottish Government update, a further announcement on the re-opening of Glasgow Life venues will be made soon.”
• Hertfordshire – Enjoy poetry and music online at duo’s fun Easter picnic – Welwyn Hatfield Times. ACE funded.
• Isle of Wight – Order and Collect service to resume at council libraries – Island Echo. “From Monday (29th March), residents can order books by emailing their requests to libraries@iow.gov.uk or by calling 1 of the 6 libraries directly.”
• Lincolnshire – Golden times for Market Rasen library – Market Rasen Mail. “Market Rasen Library will be marking its 50th birthday on April 21 and to celebrate staff are planning to take over the LincsLibraries social media for the week, but they need help from their customers.”
• Midlothian – A fine move by Midlothian libraries to win customers back pre-pandemic – Midlothian Advertiser. “Midlothian Council has agreed to remove library fines and hire charges for CDs and DVDs to encourage users back.”
• Norfolk – Norfolk Libraries appoints new head – Lynn News. “Jill Turrell is taking on the role of head of service, following the retirement of Jan Holden who has overseen Norfolk’s libraries for over 20 years.”
• Northamptonshire – ‘New unitary council must cut £15,300 rent for Kingsthorpe Library in Northampton’ – Northampton Chronicle. “The Kingsthorpe Library saga goes on! The Parish Council has written to the county council asking them to review the cost of the annual rent of £15,300, but as yet, has had no reply. Members of the Parish Council spoke to the councillor for Kingsthorpe North, who had spoken to the council, but they were entrenched in the £15,300 rent for the library.”
• Redbridge – Redbridge Library hosts film premiere on grief during pandemic – Ilford Recorder. “It is part of its “Death Positive Library” project, which is looking at the use of libraries as spaces to start conversations about death, dying and loss.”
• St Helens – More libraries in St Helens to reopen for essential computer use – The Reporter. “Parr, Eccleston, and Newton-le-Willows libraries will join St Helens and Chester Lane libraries in offering IT support, available to book by appointment for up to 45 minutes at a time during opening hours to assist with essential tasks such as study, access to benefits, searches for work and training opportunities.”
  • The St Helens Libraries set to reopen on April 12 – St Helens Star. “Chester Lane, St Helens, Eccleston, Newton-le-Willows and Parr libraries, which have the space to reconfigure layouts in the interest of social distancing, have been identified to reopen first on April 12.”
• Solihull – Return all Solihull library books as click and collect services restart – Solihull Observer. “Solihull Council say it does not matter how long these books have been on loan for, or what condition they are in – they just need to be returned to a drop off trolley at any library branch from March 29.” Click and collect to start.
• Staffordshire – Libraries in Lichfield and Burntwood preparing to host events as part of Staffordshire Day celebrations – Lichfield Live. “The event takes place on 1st May and will feature online chats with local authors, poetry readings, history talks and family quizzes.”
  • Library seeking artist to transform outdoor space – East Anglian Daily Times. “The aim of the project, which is Arts Council-funded, is to turn the space into a garden and attractive outdoor space for the community to enjoy. “
• Suffolk – New research highlights the impact of Suffolk Libraries Lifeline service – Suffolk Libraries. “Suffolk Libraries created Lifeline, supported by Suffolk County Council and the East of England Co-op, as a response to the first lockdown to help lonely and vulnerable library customers. Between March 2020 and July 2020 library staff made over 6,700 calls to ‘check in’ on library customers and have a chat. The reach of the library service’s network enabled staff to focus on older people and those who are particularly isolated or vulnerable. The service has continued during subsequent lockdowns and has now made over 10,000 calls. The social impact team at Moore Kingston Smith carried out research into Lifeline which calculated an impressive return on investment for the service of over £4 for every £1 spent.”
  • Artist paints unseen moments from Suffolk libraries – East Anglian Daily Times. “Suffolk Libraries joined forces with local illustrator and printmaker Sandy Horsley, who spent a year regularly visiting 13 Suffolk libraries to capture unseen moments between customers and staff.”
• Warrington – Proposed Penketh Library improvements welcomed – Warrington Worldwide. “The exact extent of the work to be done isn’t finalised yet, but external work is expected to include repairs and repainting of the facias, window frames and door frames. Double glazing is not included. Internal gutters, which have caused leaks in the library, will be replaced with external gutters.”
  • Warrington library set to be modernised as part of £142,000 revamp – Cheshire Live. “Padgate Library on Insall Road, Warrington, will be renovated next month ahead of its reopening following lockdown” … “Priorities include making the library frontage brighter and more attractive. The work also aims to provide more flexibility of space for library and community activities.”

Editorial

One year ago, it all changed. Library workers, long told in conferences that “the library is not the building” discovered the truth of it as the doors were closed and locked in every building in the country. Those staff who had work computers at home got down to the work of promoting their online resources and putting on, incredible as would have seemed simply a month previously, recorded rhyme-times and the like. E-book use soared and councils saw public libraries as a much-needed good news story.

Throughout last year, library staff – again, limited to those with work computers – learned a whole bunch of new skills, Many others were co-opted into other departments and discovered the truth that they were council employees. Again, many new skills were learnt. When libraries reopened for the short periods between lockdowns, it was the front line staff – largely, those without work computers – who quarantined the books, cleaned the work surfaces and faced the masked public while the others mainly continued at home.

Now, with vaccination becoming general, hope is in the air, an incredible full twelve months after, and library services don’t really know what will happen. Will a relieved public throng back into libraries like never before? Or will people stay cautious or have discovered new things to do during lockdown? Will the Summer Reading Challenge be the busiest ever or a damp squib? Will, the horror, a new Covid variant develop and we all return to our tedious homes? We don’t know. But something which I have been thinking about for a while is that this crisis has widened the divide between those who continued working at home and those that did not. There will be many in libraries that have not physically seen a specialist librarian for a year. How we mesh together again, when we mesh together again, will be a challenge to us all when branches reopen. Start thinking about it now if you have not done so already.

Changes by local authority

• Northumberland – Consultation concluded. Five libraries will become “hubs”.
• Staffordshire – Burton Library to be demolished and re-located.
• Sunderland – New “Culture House” proposed.

National news

• Bolinda UK Ltd and CILIP join forces to activate Libraries Week 2021 – CILIP. ” This year Libraries Week will take place between the 4th and 10th October and will focus on the central role that libraries play in their community as a driver for inclusion, sustainability, social mobility and community cohesion.”
• CILIP Pathways ready to deliver end-point assessments for Level 3 Apprenticeships – CILIP. “This Apprenticeship opens up a robust alternative route into the profession, enabling employers to attract and retain from a wider pool of talent”
• Great public library services – Library Data Blog. “Newcastle library service began publishing open data in 2016, and have run two hackathons engaging the public with that data” … “Suffolk decided to go their own way and create their own software. This looks great, and runs on tablets within a stand that provides a barcode scanner. More information is available at this Suffolk Libraries Self Service Demo from 2018.” … “Leeds are well known for their digital inclusion programmes, such as 100% Digital Leeds. Note the top-quality accessibility statement on that site.” … ” was amazed to see in 2019 that a library service (North Ayrshire) was recruiting for a role called ‘Open data development officer’. As far as I know, this was the first dedicated role in open data for public libraries.”
• Guardians of UK’s literary jewels at risk in V&A plan to cut key library staff – Guardian. “Thirty librarians have been told that their numbers are to be reduced to just 10, as part of a major restructuring at the museum.”
• Library careers panel with CILIP NW – CILIP. 23 April 10am. “e’ll be joined by a panel of library colleagues from higher education, public libraries and health, who will introduce their role, their team and their organisation, before taking questions from the audience.”
• Patron Point now available for public libraries in the UK and Ireland – Patron Point. “The company’s marketing automation platform connects to all popular library management systems and other third-party library data sources like eBook vendors and reservation system”
• Re-engaging Library Customers – CILIP East Midlands AGM – CILIP. 27 April 9.30am. ” Ash Charlton will lead us in identifying the issues and solutions for re-engaging customers as life starts to return to our new ‘normal’. “
• Summer Reading Challenge to have Wild World Heroes theme– BookSeller.”The charity has teamed up with the World Wildlife Fund to deliver the event across the summer, encouraging children to engage in reading about environmental issues, including plastic pollution and deforestation to wildlife decline and nature loss. Through taking part in the challenge, with free packs from public libraries or online, children will be able to join six fictional characters — “wild heroes” — to help solve some of these threats, learning about the importance of the environment while helping to restore nature levels in the neighbourhood of “Wilderville”.”
• What’s the key to finishing that novel of yours? Try working at the library – Crime Reads. “nd so I got to work at the library, reading everything from US-set fiction to travel guides. Whatever I wanted to find out about, the library had me covered.”

International news

• China – Mecanoo plans macau central library with façade that opens like the pages of a book – Design Boom. “15,000 sqm library with children’s, teenagers, and general collection, exhibition spaces and multi-functional rooms, café and offices”
• USA – Amazon withholds its ebooks from libraries because it prefers you pay it instead – The Verge. “Amazon is the only major publisher that’s doing this” … “six of the top 10 ebooks sold on Amazon, the dominant ebook platform in the US, were published by Amazon, making them ineligible for library loans because Amazon won’t sell them. “
• How Library Closures Hurt Adult Learners as Kids Doubled Down on Digital Reading – EdSurge. “oung adults were most likely to say they lost their main internet access when libraries closed: ages 18-29 (24 percent), followed by ages 30-44 (22 percent), 45-60 (12 percent), and over age 60 (5 percent). Those affected were also much more likely to be adults who were male, lived in an urban area, spoke a language other than English in their home, and were persons of color. “

Local news by authority

• Bracknell Forest – Praise for ‘lifesaving’ home library service used by Bracknell residents – Bracknell News. “One person told us we had literally saved their life.” … “328 residents in Bracknell Forest who are over 70, having to shield, or are clinically extremely vulnerable, registered with the contact-free delivery scheme, council data shows.”
• Calderdale – Air quality in Sowerby Bridge and impact on health to be focus of innovative library project – Halifax Courier. “Calderdale libraries’ ‘Something in the Air?’ project, supported by researchers at the University of Manchester and funded as part of the Engaging Libraries programme was launched this week. Between March and September this year, there will be a series of free events that anyone can attend, to hear from specialists and to ask questions about all sorts of issues around air quality and health.”
• Denbighshire – Denbighshire’s service was the best performing in Wales for the number of Welsh books borrowed per capita – Free Press. “The Welsh Government has praised the service in the Welsh Public Library Standards assessment report for 2019/20 saying it has a ‘strong commitment to health and wellbeing’ while its ‘intention to focus on the development of staff should enable Denbighshire libraries to remain at the heart of their communities and continue to deliver services effectively’.”
• Hampshire – Villagers asked to remove ‘adult literature’ from communal red phone box library – I. “Hurstbourne Tarrant had lost access to its mobile library service because a lack of funding from Hampshire council forced it to cease. Access to such libraries have come under increased scrutiny in recent years. However, Hurstbourne Tarrant’s telephone box was bought by the council in 2019 and then used grant money to convert it into a library” … “However, the Parish Council noticed Nancy Holder’s Hot Blooded, and publications by Debbie Viguié – whose novels are sometimes catergorised as “erotic romance” – began to appear”
• Inverclyde – Library celebrates Women’s History Month – Greenock Telegraph.
• Milton Keynes – Milton Keynes Libraries to host online ‘Lines of Lockdown’ poetry event – MK FM. “Milton Keynes Libraries and Milton Keynes Islamic Arts & Culture are set to co-host an online open mic poetry night”
• North Ayrshire – Council set to perform u-turn on disposal of ‘lifeline community facilities’ – Largs and Millport Weekly News. “Under-threat facilities, which included Largs Library, are set to be thrown a lifeline after playing key roles in the community effort during the coronavirus pandemic.”
• Northumberland – Shaping the future of libraries in Northumberland – News Post Leader. “An extensive consultation between December 2019 and March 2020 saw more than 5,000 people, both library members and non-members, take part.” … “Building on the findings of the consultation a redesign of the service was approved by the County Council’s Cabinet to establish five Hub Libraries, serving each locality area.”
• North Yorkshire – Home library service grows in popularity during Covid – Northern Echo. “Around 1,400 people across North Yorkshire currently benefit from the service and last year’s Covid restrictions and lockdowns saw increased demand for the service.”
  • Meet the Yorkshire volunteers delivering a world of escape through doorstep deliveries of library books – Yorkshire Post. “With libraries closed to customers in the traditional way, an army of volunteers is reaching out across North Yorkshire to ensure services can be accessed from home.”
• Nottingham – Nottingham’s new central library delayed until next year – Nottingham Post. “The new building for the library is already there, as part of the complex which will also house the car park and the new bus station but like many other authorities Nottingham city council continues to face a challenge so there will be a delay to our original intention to complete the fit out of the new central library. “The sale of the Angel Row site means we can start the fit out of the new central library in the summer, aiming to complete next year.””
• Powys – Powys libraries join dementia music campaign – Powys Country Times. “It is the first library authority in Wales to work with dementia charity, Playlist for Life, to distribute its booklet ‘Create the Soundtrack of Your Life”
• Renfrewshire – Library books home delivery service is best seller – Renfrewshire 24. “Almost 200 people have signed up to Renfrewshire Leisure’s Libraries Direct service providing a free delivery service of library books to those over the age of 70, people with disabilities and families with children.”
• Sandwell – Sandwell solution to lockdown loneliness – sharing a good book – Halesowen News. “It will include a new telephone reading group, one-to-one telephone conversations with Reading Befrienders, and online book readings for all ages which will be showcased on the library service’s Facebook page.”
• Sefton – Iconic building closed for eight years could soon get new lease of life – Liverpool Echo. “The Carnegie Library in Crosby was shut by Sefton Council in December 2013 as part of a “libraries review” and a bid to save cash. Six other libraries across Sefton were also ordered to close the same year. Now documents on Sefton Council’s website reveal plans to transform the Grade II listed building into a “community hub” with office space, a bistro, and bar areas.”
• Somerset – Somerset libraries reopen and launch Reading Friends service – Weston Mercury. “Almost all Somerset libraries have reopened this week, offering a limited-service as lockdown measures start to ease. “
• Staffordshire – Services support residents as lockdown restrictions ease – Tamworth Informed. “From Monday (8 March) libraries at Biddulph, Burntwood, Codsall, Kidsgrove, Rugeley, Stone, Uttoxeter and Wombourne will reopen to offer essential PC use and ‘order and collect’ services. Until 12 April these eight will close between 1 and 2pm.”
  • Improvements in Burton town centre could see dozens of homes created – Staffordshire Live. “The project to regenerate the area around High Street, which fronts the Washlands and the River Trent, would also see the town’s library building bulldozed if its services were to be moved to the market hall, a council anticipates.” … “it “anticipates” demolishing existing “low value” buildings, such as the 1970s library building, off Meadowside Drive.” … ” agreed, in principle, to relocate the library, off High Street, to the market hall in the Market Place at a meeting in August – two months before the nine-day public consultation on the proposal was launched in October. When the library project was discussed this part of the meeting was in private and not open to the public. The authority had previously said Burton Library was the most successful library in the county.”
• Suffolk – Suffolk Libraries launches new technology lending scheme – East Anglian Daily Times. Laptop lending. “The aim of the new Device to Your Door scheme which has been funded by Suffolk’s Contain Outbreak Management Fund is to provide help for those with no access to a computer or the internet at home.  “
• Sunderland – Sunderland’s Culture House – Designing Libraries. “Central to the regeneration programme is the proposed new library. The stated aim of the project is to create the UK’s best new library in an iconic, 80,000 square feet building which will contain adult lending and reference libraries; libraries for children and young people; spaces for making, creativity and innovation; a local studies and archive centre (£650,000 has been agreed for the digitisation of collections).” 600,000 visitor target.
• Wandsworth – Shakespeare week coming to Wandsworth libraries – SW Londoner. “Wandsworth libraries will be showing daily videos exploring the life and works of William Shakespeare to celebrate Shakespeare week. There will also be a live online event, which will feature a team of actors performing speeches from Shakespeare followed by a Q&A session for children to ask for any secrets on how to perform the legendary playwright’s work.”
• Wigan – Libraries launch e-book service – Leigh Journal. “Libraries in the borough are launching a new e-book service which will give residents free access to up to 36,000 digital books and over 20,000 audiobooks. Any member of Wigan library services will be able to download the BorrowBox app”
• Wokingham – New Twyford Library Approved – Wokingham.co.uk. “A new chapter is opening for Twyford Library as Wokingham Borough Council approves plans to create a brand-new facility in the centre of the village, converting the Old Polehampton Boys School.”
• Worcestershire – Archive service to help Redditch residents trace their family trees – Redditch Standard. “The number of library customers accessing Ancestry Library Edition increased by 200 per cent in February, compared to the same period in 2020. Digital library membership has increased by 355 per cent in the last 12 months”
• Census help is available – Worcester Observer. Zoom library sessions. “Join Tony Hutchings, Census Engagement Manager for Worcestershire from the Office for National Statistics as he explains more about the census, how you can complete the census, how information is captured as well as being on hand to answer any of your queries and signpost you to useful helplines”
• Malvern Library set to become Rapid Covid Testing site – Worcester News. ““It’s great to see Malvern Library offering support to the local community by becoming the next rapid flow testing site.”