Court rejects Isle of Wight judical review request

News

• Hate to say it, but I agree with George Osborne – London Evening Standard.  Chancellor is using “the markets” as an excuse for ideologically driven cuts.  “none of these economy-boosting calls can be heeded for fear of missing Osborne’s austerity targets. And as for those calling for fewer closures of libraries and Sure Start centres – well, they know where the door is.”
• Library marketing and promotion – #uklibchat. The results of a brainstorming session amongst interested parties on Twitter.  Excellent ideas for the professional and for the campaigner too.

“The factor deciding who councillors will listen to is not the quality of the advice, but the offer of money. For this reason the Arts Council has been very successful in persuading local councils to support initiatives—ranging from the Cultural Olympiad to increasing the number of people actively engaged in the arts.” John Pateman, BookSeller.

• Money talks – BookSeller. John Pateman notes that, unlike the Arts Council (see above quote) the DCMS advice on libraries was ignored by councils due to it (a) employing rather than specialist librarians and (b) councils feel it lacks teeth.  CILIP advice ignored as seen as self-interested. MLA ignored because it “looked and sounded like something produced by a committee, with no clear remit or focus”.
• New York City Libraries: Providing education and titillation – Concerned Women for America.  Another amazingly over-the-top article from the USA, including the lines “In New York City Public Libraries, policies are evidently put in place for the perverts.”.
• Philip Pullman pulls no punches in his defence of UK libraries – Melville House Publishing (USA).  “UK libraries have something working in their favor: a passionate group of writers vociferously defending the public’s right to libraries. Perhaps one of the fiercest advocates is His Dark Materials trilogy author”
• Save Troy Library: The sisters interview TPL Director Cathy Russ – Books for Walls (USA).  Nice interview with the library manager and interesting ideas about how to campaign, although not all transferrable to the UK. 

Changes

• Blackpool – No libraries closing (previously listed as 2) Mereside Library has reduced hours, new library at Moorpark.
• Hackney – Pledge to increase library opening hours. 
• Manchester – 4 libraries and at least 2 mobiles under threat (previously down as 5 libraries) – 3 to close (Clayton and Rack House entirely, East City to be only for Manchester College Students) as part of £3m cut.  At least 2 mobiles to close. Opening hours to reduce.  Hulme Library to move into Moss Side Leisure Centre. Barlow Moor Library may depend on volunteers to run it in 2012.
• York – Free wi-fi and self-service in all libraries by end of 2011.

Local News

• Bolton – Fury at libraries decision secrecy – This is Lancashire.  “Normally, reports to be considered in the public part of the meeting are published seven days before it is held. But council bosses have decided not to make them available until the day of the meeting, claiming they want to tell library staff first.”
• East Sussex – Call for a library tobe set up in ASDA – Eastbourne Herald.   “Sam Sweiry says there are nearly 10,000 people living in Sovereign Harbour and it desperately needs a ‘cultural centre’ where residents and tourists can access information and IT facilities.” 

• Hackney – Union wins council rethink over hackney libraries cuts – Hackney Citizen.  Decision “followed a protest on the steps of the Town Hall at which staff waved placards condemning staff cuts and what they called the “slow death” of the libraries service.”.  Pledge to increase opening hours.
• Anti-cuts campaigners force town hall rethink on Hackney libraries job losses – Hackney Gazette.   “The council has been consulting on money-saving plans, including reducing the number of library jobs by a quarter, from 104 to 76, and changes to opening times. But more than two and a half thousand people signed petitions or wrote letters in protest and Unison, the public sector trade union, took their complaints to the town hall.”
• Isle of Wight – High Court libraries hearing: judicial review rejected – Ventnor Blog.  Rejected due to (a) delays caused by Legal Services Commission, (b) the Council was facing “difficult circumstances”, (c) Council had gone into process with an “open mind”, and (d) Equalities legislation was given due regard. “The defendant (IWC) has applied for costs of the acknowledgement of service and cost of attendance today. One of the library campaigners, Dave Quigley, said after the decision, “We are holding the Legal Services Commission responsible for this due to their delays.”.
• Isle of Wight denied library closures review – BookSeller.  LSC does not accept the blame. 
• End of the road for library cuts campaigners – Isle of Wight Radio.  Council says “”This decision means that we can focus all our efforts on helping support those community groups who are working so hard to establish community libraries. We have recently extended the time available to these groups to finalise their proposals as a sign of our commitment to maintaining an excellent library provision on the Island.”. 
• Library cuts challenge blocked – Independent.  Campaigner says “even if the libraries were transferred to community groups, their future remained uncertain and they were in danger of failing through lack of funding or suitable volunteers to make them a success.”. 
• Campaigners lose fight against libraries’ closures – IWCP. 
• Isle of Wight legal challenge blocked – BBC.

• Lambeth – Doctor’s at the library? – South London Press.  “Suggestions from Lambeth’s libraries commission include putting old books in police station waiting rooms, raising late return fines and running doctors’ surgeries from public libraries.”.  Suggestions also include room hire increases, higher DVD charges, coffee shops.
• Leeds – Library fines put £1m in city council coffers – Yorkshire Evening Post.  “Figures obtained under the Freedom of Information Act also state that in 2010-11 the council charged more than £345,000 in library fines.”
• Manchester – Mobile libraries to be shut down as part of £3m cuts in Manchester – Manchester Evening News.  “Councillors also want to replace two community libraries with ‘book exchanges’ run entirely by local volunteers.”
• Oxfordshire – Library cut plans “are based on biased data” – Henley Standard.   “More than 310 residents attended a public meeting on Monday to discuss the proposed changes to the facility in High Street. Under plans announced by Oxfordshire County Council, two-thirds of staff funding could be withdrawn so volunteers would be needed to maintain the current opening hours.”  Statistics used by council were taken while in temporary building during £700,000 improvement of permanent library. 
• Sandwell – Furious librarians send Sandwell Council a red letter over industrial action – Halesowen News.   Sandwell wants to replace library staff with volunteers.  “UNISON has announced from August 1 the normally mild-mannered librarians will be working to rule and refusing to carry out anything but the most basic of their duties. The ballot, which 87 per cent of members took part in, resulted in a massive 97.5 per cent voted for action after learning of Sandwell Council’s cost cutting plan.”.  Comment apparently from chief librarian suggests that strike is, rather, about a regrading dispute.
• Solihull and Warwickshire – Success for library partnership – Birmingham Mail.  “The partnership has saved an estimated £100,000 for the two councils, with a new route and timetable, concentrating resources on areas where demand is highest, removing underused stops and avoiding duplication of mobile stops.” 
• Somerset – Library earns injunction reprieve – Mercury. “Although Burnham and Highbridge Town Council stepped forward earlier this year with a deal to save the [Highbridge]  library at a cost of £4,000, fresh concerns were raised over whether there were enough volunteers to run it.”

• Surrey – Library users set for protest – Get Surrey.   “John Bond, of the Byfleet Library Action Group, said: “We agree with volunteers going into Byfleet Library but we also need professional staff. “A representative from every village is going out in force and there will be a coach going up from Byfleet and New Haw.”
• “Biggest demo” over Surrey library cuts – BBC.   “The demonstration by library campaigners and the public sector union Unison is due to take place outside a cabinet meeting on Tuesday.”  Each branch is aiming to send at least ten people, the WI are also involved.  Council wants to force local communities to run 11 libraries or see them close.
• Leader’s views on libraries – Surrey Council.  Dr Povey likes volunteers replacing paid staff.  

• Worcestershire – Shared buildings are better value – Tewkesbury AdMag.  “All the county’s councils are having their say on a 10-year plan aimed at saving money by having services such as libraries or benefits offices in the same places as other public sector bodies.”
• York – Free wi-fi boost for York Libraries – Press.  Self-service and Free wi-fi for all 14 libraries by end of 2011.