9 libraries under threat in Wolverhampton

• Plan your complaint to the DCMS – See this post.
  
• Re-open Friern Barnet Library. “We need to reach 7,000 signatures for our petition to be debated at a full Barnet council meeting. Last year we broke the 3,000 mark. Please be aware you do NOT need to live in the Borough of Barnet, and it takes just 60 seconds to sign. http://petitions.barnet.gov.uk/RE-OPENFBLIB/. Petition text: “We the residents, students and workers of Friern Barnet, are petitioning Barnet Council to Re-open our local library. Friern Barnet Library in its present place and shape is an integral part of community life in the surrounding area. We want a cheerful Local library. This is a chance for Barnet Council to show they are listening to local residents and reverse the bad feeling caused by the closure of this lovely library.”

News

• Forbes notwithstanding, libraries value their MLIS – Library Journal (USA).  “Although Forbes magazine recently named the MLIS the worst masters degree to get, actual librarians largely disagree, a survey conducted by the Library Research Service of Colorado State Library found. In May 2011, nearly 2500 respondents from all 50 United States and 15 countries answered a 60-Second Survey The Value of an MLIS Degree to You. Some 79 percent agreed or strongly agreed that their MLIS was worth the time and money invested in it, though it is worth noting that respondents who’ve had the degree the longest were the most likely to think so.”
• Orkney’s library’s “worst prize ever” tweet hits the bullseye – BBC.   “They tweeted: “Some people suggesting our prize isn’t very good. It’s a book. We’re a Library. What did you want – a caravan? This isn’t Bullseye.” The tweet has rapidly been re-tweeted as well as being shared on Facebook.”.  Orkney library now has over 6,500 followers on Twitter.
• Pinterest 101: A primer for libraries – Library Marketing Toolkit.   “Pinterest.com is a site you’ll have heard of – it’s THE social media platform of the moment. It has already become one of the top-10 social media sites in terms of numbers of users (and in January 2012 became the fastest website in history to reach 10 million users), and attracted a lot of press coverage when recent investment valued the brand at $1billion. Of course, none of that REALLY matters to us as librarians – we care about how it can be used to bring together communities in libraries, and market our services. The mantra, as always, is about market penetration – are our users there? If so, we should be there too….”

Changes

• Northern Ireland – Subscription-only Linen Hall Library in Belfast  receives £1 million grant.
• Wolverhampton –  9 libraries under threat – 9 libraries ( Ashmore Park, Bilston, East Park, Finchfield, Low Hill, Penn, Spring Vale, Warstones and Whitmore Reans) under threat. Some may be closed, others to be co-located in “community hubs” with community centres/youth services.  Consultation for 12 weeks from 27/6/12.   £1.1m total cut/£600k staffing cut (including cut to community centres).  Only 2 out of 15 libraries (Tettenhall and Central)  in authority would remain as single-purpose buildings.

Local News

• Camden – £350,000 spent on three-month Olympics extravaganza “could have saved a library”, says user group – Camden New Journal.   “Last year, Camden Council announced it was cutting the leisure department’s budget by 25 per cent – leaving three libraries to be run by volunteers and others facing reduced opening hours.” … “Labour leisure chief Councillor Tulip Siddiq defended the decision to spend council money on the events, saying the £350,000 included £47,000 directly from council coffers with the rest coming from links with other bodies, such as University College London, the Wellcome Trust and the British Museum. “It is £47,000 we would have spent on cultural programmes anyway,” she said.”
• Northern Ireland – Writing a new chapter with £1 million grant – News Letter.  “Established in 1788 by a small group of local artisans, the Linen Hall Library has earned international recognition for its wealth of resource material dating back centuries. The grant has been awarded by Heritage Lottery Fund’s catalyst endowment programme and will be used to maintain and develop the library for future generations.”
• Surrey – Libraries campaigners hit back at councillor’s criticism – Get Surrey.   “Councillor Helyn Clack made the jibe after saying that she had not received an open letter from the Surrey Libraries Action Movement (SLAM) asking whether sites earmarked to become community partnered libraries (CPL) were now safe from closure. Cllr Clack added that CPL policy was about stability rather than cost savings. SLAM’s communications officer, Lee Godfrey, said: “There are so many very real and genuine concerns, and she dismisses all of that. “We have taken the council to the High Court and won and she dismisses that as opposition for opposition’s sake.””
• Wolverhampton – Libraries face closure – Express & Star.   “Nine libraries and seven community centres in Wolverhampton face being shut down or moved, it was revealed today, as council bosses unveiled details of controversial merger plans. Under the proposals, libraries, youth centres and community centres would relocate under one roof at venues across the city, with some facilities closed down completely.”