Edinburgh visitors up 15%: the England/Scotland divide
Editorial
Good to see that the award-winning Edinburgh library service, well-known for its initiatives has had a 15% increase in visitors last year compared to 2010. Doubtless the two new libraries helped but the embracing of new technology has also been a factor. Helpful too has been the successful public protest that meant that cuts proposed in 2011/12 did not come to pass. South of the border, such cuts largely do come to pass and so it’s far harder for library services to be as successful as their northern brethren. The suspicion here is that library usage mirrors library funding – so cuts to the budget means less usage, which of course makes cuts to budget more likely. Just look at Lincolnshire where the cuts are being pushed through with the somewhat self-contradictory argument that libraries are (a) not strongly needed and (b) it’s expected that people will work for free to keep them open. One ticket to Edinburgh please.
Changes
- Edinburgh – Visitor figures up 15% over 2010 to 3.1 million 2012/13. No late charges for e-books.
- Luton – Wigmore, Sundon Park and the mobile library will close. Marsh Farm Library (currently a joint school/public use building at Lea Manor School, will be staffed by Luton Culture staff 2pm-6pm Monday to Friday, and Saturdays. To offset the closure of Wigmore, the opening hours at Stopsley library will be increase.
- Swansea – Dismountable trailer in Waunarlwydd has 500 books after £5,000 lottery grant won by local resident’s association, 40 users so far.
- West Lothian – Visitors increase from 695,753 in 2008-9 to 800,852 in 2012/13
News
- 30 things librarians love – Buzzfeed Books (USA). Yes.
- CILIP – New blue “look” for website and other minor changes.
- Declaration to the Right to Libraries – ALA (USA). A rather brilliant way of promoting libraries from the American Library Association, based on the Declaration of Independence. Reasons: libraries empower the individual; support lifelong learning and literacy; strengthen families; equalise; build communities; protect right to know; strengthen the nation; advance research and scholarship; help us know eachother; preserve cultural heritage.
- Fact or friction – Good Library Blog / Tim Coates. Deliberately making borrowing library e-books harder – as recommended by the Sieghart Review – will simply result in people getting their ebooks elsewhere. “‘Friction’ in this context is a nonsense – in life no one should aim to do things less well than they can be done. That is called mediocrity.”
- Localism and libraries – Stop the privatisation of public libraries. Looks at the government legislation regarding libraries, communities and volunteers; “something that started with a few communities with a gun to their heads and told “run your libraries or we’ll close them” has turned into a multi-million pound initiative with a highly organised support network and publicity machine behind it.”
- Simi Valley Library reopening – LSSI / Facebook. Some interesting pictures of the reopening of the privately-run library. The library itself looks fairly traditional but points to note are the large bookstore run by volunteers, the events room and the fact that the library does not appear to be self-service.
Local news
- Edinburgh – City libraries get e-book boost – Edinburgh News. Libraries benefit from being able to scan in a book barcode on the mobile phone (from, say, a bookshop or supermarket) and reserve a copy directly from library. E-lending increasing – 3000 e-books and 4500 e-magazines loaned per month. “The growing popularity of e-books has coincided with a rise in visitor numbers to Edinburgh libraries from a low of 2.6 million in 2009-10 to 3.1 million last financial year – a 15 per cent increase.”
“The interesting aspect of the virtual library is how it’s encouraged people to also physically visit libraries because their performance figures have all gone up. People seem to be getting tempted or teased by good offers or items they’ve seen online. They’ve seen the service as more innovative and creative and they’re coming back to take a second look.” Liz McGettigan
- Herefordshire – Libraries: Don’t write final chapter on vital resource – Ledbury Reporter. “Watching a professional help someone who is starting to cook for the first time access simple recipes; assisting someone else research their family tree; directing someone else to legal or consumer advice on the shelves, is not a job for a happy amateur. True, volunteers can assist. They can free up librarians from the more mundane tasks so they can spend more time helping readers access the information they need, but never be fooled into thinking it is merely a job involving putting books back on shelves.”
“Herefordshire needs libraries. Big, physical buildings where lots goes on besides, but very obviously including the borrowing and returning of books. And those libraries need librarians. There’s little point in a consultation exercise that doesn’t allow those being consulted to make that pretty fundamental point.”
- Lincolnshire – Think again and think hard – Save Lincolnshire Libraries. A rather good posture using Michael Morpurgo’s lines “Think again and think hard” about closing libraries.
- Lincolnshire – Campaigners ready to fight to save Lincolnshire’s libraries – Horncastle News. Horncastle and Wragby residents organise to fight proposed closures.
- Luton – Wigmore, Sundon Park and mobile libraries are facing closure – Luton Express. In addition (subtraction?) “Lewsey Park library would be single-staffed, Marsh Farm library would see a decrease in opening hours but would stay open all day on a Saturday, and Leagrave library would stay open, but would shut on Sundays.”. 3 access points (library catalogues you can reserve on) to be placed in as-yet undecided locations.
- Merton – Residents launch ‘Save Wimbledon Library’ campaign over redevelopment fears – This is Local London. “A ‘Save Wimbledon Library’ campaign has gathered momentum after Merton Council placed the listed building on its ‘sites and policies plan’ – a list of sites earmarked for future development along with their agreed use to guide future development.”
- Merton – Protests outside Wimbledon library as rumours circulate it could be closed – SW Londoner. “Around 30 to 40 residents were joined by councillors after a full council meeting earlier this month debated a document saying that the whole Wimbledon Library site may be redeveloped with a mix of retail, residential and office buildings. Councillor Samantha George, the Conservatives’ Library and Culture Spokesman, said that the sudden response proved just how precious Wimbledon Library is to the community”. Council says library is safe and will be invested in.
- Southend on Sea – Saving Westcliff Library – Julian’s musings. “I paid a flying visit to Westcliff Library yesterday as I had a book to return. Outside the Westborough Community Association had a stall; I signed their petition”
- Southport – Fate of some of Southport’s libraries remains unknown as cabinet members reject two community proposals – Southport Visiter. “Under Sefton Council’s budget cuts, seven of the borough’s 13 libraries are threatened with closure. Campaigners submitted detailed proposals to save their facilities back in May. But at a cabinet meeting on July 18, council members gave first stage approval to two proposals while rejecting two others.”
- Swansea – Library is result of residents’ labours – This is South Wales. Demountable trailer used to stock 500 books after £5,000 of lottery funding.” “After getting the demountable, we refurbished it, and we plan to use it primarily as a library, but also for other uses. It has been stocked by donations from people living locally, and we already have around 500 books.”
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