The size of the protests in Sefton against library closures there is quite impressive – thousands have raised their voices.  Clearly, the people there are not happy about having local services axed while being still having to pay their tax. These protests can have an impact as those in Wolverhampton have found with some, but by no means all, of their libraries saved from closure. It’s interesting to see that rare beast, the entirely-self-service library being an option that looks likely to become reality for one of these branches. Moving away from campaigning, it’s great to note that, for a trial period, public libraries will be able to lend CDs from the day of their release rather than (as before) waiting for three months.

News

  • 1 billion on Facebook and the real meaning for libraries – Joe Murphy, Library Innovator (USA). “Facebook’s size matters to libraries because it facilitates connections to much more than friends; connections between people and resources, connections between consumers and products, between individuals and services. Facebook also drives connections in a big way to outside apps (resources, tools).”
  • Are libraries still relevant in the age of Google? – Whitefish Bay Patch (USA).  Yes they are … for local history, free events/courses, research, specialised knowledge, libraries as the Third Place.
  • Librarians or Baristas? – Inside Higher Ed. “Large bright badges offering help to customers may have become a common sight in coffee shops.But the wearing of them by librarians at the University of Oxford has been seen as the latest insult in a row over changes taking place among the dreaming spires’ famous research collections.”
  • Library will be crowdfunded – Hack Library School (USA). Kickstarter and other websites are already funding projects like unglue.it (see below). “One current and exciting crowdfunding library project is the , which is  to get $20,000 for the future library’s first year of rent. “
  • Public libraries and ebooks – Good Library Blog / Tim Coates. “I had the very good fortune to be invited to an international seminar on the subject of ebooks in public libraries this week at IFLA in The Hague and was asked, along with several other non librarians, to express my views about current situations and issues … I think that public libraries are the sleeping giant of the ebook firmament – the possibilities for what they can do are enormous – but they need to be alert and work hard to achieve them . The situation is not easy.”
  • Read all about it: the online newspaper archive – BBC / Technology. “The British Newspaper Archive website is one of the most ambitious digital projects undertaken by a museum. In a room high up in the library, giant scanning machines have been capturing the contents of papers from across the UK. The project will last another 10 years and involves scanning 40 million pages.”
  • Say this, not that: public library edition – Letters to a young librarian.  Do’s and don’ts of answering interview questions for library jobs.
  • Seven reasons to support unglue.it – Public Libraries Online (USA).  Article lists reasons why librarians should support unglue.it’s mission to provide rights free e-books.
  • Six partnerships for public libraries – 658.8 Practical marketing for public libraries (USA).  Public libraries can benefit from partnerships with other organisations inc. bookstores, parks, chamber of commerce, mums/dads clubs, tourist information centres, university/college.
  • UK libraries to lend CDs from release date in new agreement with BPI – Music Week. “UK libraries will be able to lend CDs from the date they are made available for sale next year, under a new six-month trial agreement between the BPI and the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals (CILIP).”.  Previously delayed for three months. “Phil Bradley, CILIP president added: “CILIP believes fiercely in the need for libraries to be able to give users exactly what they want.  “In a world where instant downloads, Spotify and streaming are the norm; we hope that this new agreement will help to do that. We will monitor this six-month trial closely, andif successful we hope to make it permanent””

Changes

Local News

  • Croydon – “Culture of secrecy” as Croydon chooses library company – BookSeller.  “Croydon Council has chosen the private company it wants to run its 13 libraries, with John Laing Integrated Services selected after a private bidding process. The new deal, which will be fully unveiled in the coming weeks, will see the local authority continue to hold the freehold on the buildings, while the services are taken over by the company.”


Croydon / Lambeth – Steve Reed talks to Robert Gibson about Upper Norwood Library – Youtube

  • Lancashire – It’s quiet without library gigs – Lancaster Guardian.  Looks at the fantastic record of Get It Loud in Libraries bringing soon-to-be-famous music to Lancashire.  “GILIL as it was has lost its funding from Lancashire County Council, resulting in a fairly extensive void opening up on the Lancaster music scene. It’s also meant that if you want to see up and coming national bands, you’re going to have to travel to Manchester and Liverpool, or at the very least Preston, and we all know what time the trains run until. That’s not to say the scene has “suffered” in itself, far from it, but the potential is without a doubt still there – the queues from the library doors round the corner to the Vue Cinema for bands that are on their way up, but still relatively unknown, is testament to that.”
  • Leicestershire – New rights of way maps available to view in libraries – In Loughborough. “Copies of maps detailing Leicestershire’s public footpaths, bridleways and byways are now available to view in main libraries. The Definitive Map is the official record of the existence, status and position of all of the county’s current public rights of ways.” … “It is anticipated than an online version of the map will be available on the county council’s website in the New Year. “
  • Sefton – Anti-closure bid gathers steam as communities unite in face of threat to Southport libraries – Southport Visiter. “Hundreds are joining the anti-closure protests with a host of petitions, public meetings and demonstrations taking place. Schoolchildren, parents and politicians are all playing key roles as communities unite to save their much-loved libraries. In Churchtown, more than 2,000 signatures have been collected so far for a petition to save the library.”  Some very impressive figures.
  • Sutton – What’s on at Sutton’s libraries this Christmas? – Croydon Guardian.  “Events include everything from a knitting class to Christmas story time and wreath design. Councillor Jill Whitehead, chair of the Environment and Neighbourhood Committee said: “During the build up to Christmas we have laid on a number of exciting events across the borough’s libraries for people of all ages.”
  • Wolverhampton – Five Wolverhampton libraries saved from the axe – Express and Star.  “Five closure-threatened libraries in Wolverhampton were today saved from the axe – but the fate of four others was sealed, despite huge campaigns from supporters”.  “And this afternoon council bosses announced Finchfield, East Park, Low Hill, Whitmore Reans and Penn libraries would remain open as they are. Others at Warstones, Ashmore Park and Spring Vale will close and be moved elsewhere, while Collingwood Library in Bushbury will close and be relocated as a self-service facility.”