Comments on: “We’re as frustrated as you are”: The Society of Chief Librarians “Stakeholder Forum” with library campaigners.

By: Elizabeth Ash

Elizabeth Ash — Mon, 24 Dec 2012 20:10:09 +0000

In reply to Alan Wylie. So were all the campaigners who attended Alan - or maybe better described as cynical but optimistic! The next moves of the SCL will be quite telling.

By: Alan Wylie

Alan Wylie — Mon, 24 Dec 2012 09:25:50 +0000

Elizabeth, it wasn’t a criticism of the campaigners who attended as i said i’m just very wary of the reasons behind the meeting and how it might be used, you know my middle name is ‘cynical’!

By: Elizabeth Ash

Elizabeth Ash — Sun, 23 Dec 2012 21:13:52 +0000

Campaigners were aware that agreeing to the meeting with SCL might be spun but we have to accept this meeting as a positive step and monitor what happens as a result of this. Let’s not forget that the SCL have left themselves exposed by this move and those involved in the exchange of views at this initial meeting will not accept the SCL dragging their heels. At one point a follow up meeting was suggested around May time which is clearly unacceptable. To have any effect we need an ongoing dialogue.

You have made some very valid points in your post at http://dontprivatiselibraries.blogspot.co.uk/2012/12/the-society-of-chief-librarians-and.html which need to be explored further, as many are sleepwalking into acceptance of the hollowing out and closure of libraries. The SCL should be a key player in advocating for libraries and highlighting these issues. Will they be compliant and complicit? If you read their blurb http://www.goscl.com/about-the-scl/ they certainly shouldn’t be. Watch this space.

By: Alan Wylie

Alan Wylie — Sun, 23 Dec 2012 19:09:53 +0000

I have just published a piece on my blog about the SCL and their relatioship with CLOA see http://dontprivatiselibraries.blogspot.co.uk/2012/12/the-society-of-chief-librarians-and.html
I think that there is a general feeling amongst campaigners and library staff that the SCL have cut the service adrift and have pulled the ladder up, I don’t think we are “all on the same side”
I appreciate some of the reasons for campaigners attending this meeting but i personally would be very wary about how this is spun especially by the SCL.

By: Frank Daniels

Frank Daniels — Fri, 21 Dec 2012 16:54:01 +0000

Do not look to the SCL to be the saviour of public libraries. This is just a loose assortment of chief librarians who band together to hide behind a smokescreen of collective irresponsibility when it comes to facing up to the issue of cuts in public services. I do not suggest that chief librarians come up with the idea of making cuts and implement them with glee. No, they are given their orders by local politicians enboldened by central government policy and the cuts then happen because no chief librarian will decide to make an ethical stand for the profession by refusing to carry out the given orders. The financial consequences and career chances are too precious to put at risk. So much easier to hide behind the smokescreen and make sympathetic noises from time to time, when reminded to do so by other, more concerned bodies, or campaigners.

When all the professions are reduced to the status of “merely carrying out orders” we are well on the road to something that has already caused a great deal of trouble in the last century. I think that if you are at the top of your profession and benefit from it, then you owe the profession something in return. If you are a chief librarian and you resigned rather than implement cuts in your library service, then you have my full and sincere apologies.

By: martin Cove

martin Cove — Wed, 12 Dec 2012 13:48:48 +0000

Couldn’t agree more with this comment. They have been trying to have it both ways for too long . Volunteers are being exploited by being asked to help at branches where staffing has been reduced – i.e. they are effectively substituting for paid staff even if this is not the formal policy.

The ‘elephant in the room’ in all of this is staff and staff skills / professional library training . The latter has been virtually eliminated along with staff numbers. We get no support for ICT training any more for example. This is very worrying given the ‘digital by default’ strategy as many people will rely on libraries for Web access (still free here in Cambs but many are charging for this). How will single staffed branches cope ? Will Central government fund this properly ? i.e.the re- skilling of staff ? I have my doubts !

By: Rubymalvolio

Rubymalvolio — Tue, 11 Dec 2012 22:11:45 +0000

I was going to write a post of my own on this but your account is very comprehensive so I don’t think its required. A couple of thoughts that I would add though:

They don’t have a evidence base for their position on volunteers replacing paid staff, their policy is based on their judgement and experience as librarians. They cited a hypothetical example which you did include but I disagree strongly with them that their position is saving libraries, I think quite the opposite, they are rubber stamping the non-money saving ideological big society nonsense that might save some libraries on paper for a couple of years but isn’t a proven long term solution to the funding problems for public libraries. Volunteers can and should make libraries better, we shouldn’t be providing a statutory service to ourselves.

They are a publically funded body which takes public positions on library issues but are not accountable or responsible to anyone, they have no democratic mandate. I appreciate they cannot criticize individual authorities but they could publish what they consider good and bad practice (backed up with evidence) as you cannot “lead the debate” by only talking about the positive side of things.

I’m sure other stuff will occur to me in the coming days and I may still write something up, I hope though that they continue to engage because although I disagree with them on volunteer policy, the barbarians are at the gate and libraries need all the friends it can get.