… when you say that – “the profession” would have to address the risks associated with the type of quango you propose, there’s unfortunately little evidence that it is a safe pair of hands. And (by the way) don’t the public get any say in this?

People who rely on public libraries and the campaigners who represent them will do their utmost to defend the principles upon which the service was founded, not least because – in the words of Winston Churchill – “An appeaser is one who feeds a crocodile, hoping it will eat him last”.

Simon, If we are to be eaten, we’lI go down fighting and ensure that we’re an indigestible meal. We are not going to hand the philistine library destroyers knives, forks and spoons with which to consume us and the service we have sworn to defend. We think it’s perfectly reasonable to expect that CILIP and the SCL withhold the cutlery, too.

Shirley,

I believe we have a stark choice. Stay in Local Government and wait to be abolished or leave and give ourselves a chance.

There are of course risks associated with the type of body I propose and we in the profession would have to address these before we went down that route but we are in stronger position if we initiate the debate rather than wait to have something imposed on us as has happened before.

My experience is almost exclusively in unitary authorities and I know that within 5 years all the signs are there will be no money to fund public libraries from these councils. All the politicians I have heard, say the same. Perhaps things are not so serious in the counties where the districts share responsibility for social care but they too will soon face serious shortfalls.

My family have been associated with local government since the 30s and it saddens me to see the way things are going but we must look at alternatives and not cling to local government simply because the alternatives look scary. Local democracy is already highly diluted. Backbench councillors are virtually powerless and even the more senior ones usually have few choices because of the financial rules imposed from the centre. Surely it’s better to engage with the people with the real power rather than trying to influence those who have none.

Ian mentioned in his report that there are 150+ library authorities while the police manage with far fewer (around 50 I think), would that be a more acceptable model? We could even have elected Library Commissioners but I fear the turn out would be very low.

I’m not saying I have the answers just that we need to move beyond the discussion of who delivers library services and start to ask who should commission them and ultimately pick up the bill. Until a few years ago this was obvious. I no longer think it is. That is in my view the real debate.

Shirley – it’s not the lack of advocacy that bothers me about CILIP, the SCL, etc ( others worry about that ) – it’s their incompetence at leading a library service . When I started watching the library service fifteen years ago there were 450m library visits each year but the number was falling

This year there will be around 200m .

What I meant was that when that number falls below 100 million ( as it will because nobody is addressing the issue of why there is a decline ) the the argument for public funding of a library Service will have been lost – . Nobody should fund a service that isn’t used
Until those responsible realise that the main cause of decline is the poverty of the book stock the decline will continue until the graph hits zero

That’s not doom mongering – it’s arithmetic

You have often asserted, Tim, that CILIP and co have failed to “talk up” the Library Service and that it has suffered badly as a result of this weak advocacy. So, what’s happening when someone like you seems to be doom-mongering, too? If advocates keep saying something’s b***ered – well, it will become a self-fulfilling prophecy, won’t it?
P.S. There are many thousands of people who are “bothered” and making a huge fuss, compared with the handful back in the early days. The “bothered” will still be at it in 2020 – if still breathing, rest assured!

Might we envisage appointees to this body serving as a Minister’s protective shield, rewarded for their loyalty to the political incumbents by lucrative opportunities – in the same manner as the archaic honours system is used to reward a privileged few?

I wonder whether all members of the public would have access to the quango you describe, be able to challenge its decisions and vote individuals onto or off it. Would there also be sub-boards in each town, city or county to which residents would have a right of appeal, or do you welcome the demise of local democracy of every kind?

For all its many flaws, local government provision of a wholly *public* library service is the fairest way to ensure that citizens can make themselves heard and enjoy equal provision of a quality service – and Union representation the only means by which library staff can seek some basic rights and justice that will be denied to them under a marketised system. To centralise all power over Libraries in the hands of a few, in a quango, seems to me to be wrong. Beyond ‘Libraries’ I think the ideas you propose set very worrying precedents for the future governance of our country.

Capitulation is the act of surrendering or giving up. Who is capitulating, you ask? Everyone should be asking themselves that question!

The problem is more urgent – not because of governance or lack of funding – but because at the current rate of decline in use, the numbers of library visitors will be so low by 2020 that no one will any longer be bothered.

Firstly it moves the library debate onto a bigger stage; to have an article in an influential newspaper like the Belfast Telegraph means people hear about the proposals and can voice their opposition. In England we are lucky to get a brief report in the local paper.

Secondly, Minsters make the decisions so cannot blame anyone else. Currently, in England. the Minister says it’s up to the local council to decide spending priorities and the decisions are nodded through after decision by the local cabinet member. Most people are unaware of them until it’s too late.

Thirdly as I have already said libraries are not a council priority, they have their hands full managing Social Care expenditure etc.

I believe that if libraries are to have a future post 2020 we must move away from local government as by then discretionary expenditure (and councils think of libraries in this way no matter what the legislation may say) will be all but non existent.

A body that is responsible for commissioning library services and maybe those in archives and museums is, I think, the best alternative as its entire focus will be on those areas and will have direct access to the Minister but if anyone can think of a better solution I’d be interested to hear it.

Incidentally, who’s capitulating?

As a result there is now the unprepossessing sight of the profession scrabbling about for hand and toe-holds on the rocky facade of its crumbling edifice. It is high time for a girding up of loins and a change tack. Fight for the quality library service described here:

http://www.unesco.org/webworld/libraries/manifestos/libraman.html

Extract – UNESCO Public Library Manifesto
“The Public Library shall in principle be free of charge. The public library is the responsibility of local and national authorities. It must be supported by specific legislation and financed by national and local governments. It has to be an essential component of any long-term strategy for culture, information provision, literacy and education.
To ensure nationwide library coordination and cooperation, legislation and strategic plans must also define and promote a national library network based on agreed standards of service.”

STOP capitulating!

Incidentally, the ‘Northern Ireland model’ is not doing so well lately (see below). What convinces you that if such a model were imposed here, central government would scale down its assaults – and thus fail in its (undisclosed) principal aim to reduce local government influence and effectiveness to impotence?

Belfast Newsletter : 27th September
Reduction in library opening hours could follow job cuts
http://www.newsletter.co.uk/news/regional/reduction-in-library-opening-hours-could-follow-job-cuts-1-6324802

Belfast Telegraph : 27th September
Staff to lose jobs as library service looks to save £1.4m
http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/local-national/northern-ireland/staff-to-lose-jobs-as-library-service-looks-to-save-14m-30619061.html

BBC News : 26th September
Libraries NI laying off temporary workers to save money
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-29377215

I believe that Local Government may no longer be the best model to deliver or commission library services.

Local Government has its focus elsewhere, mainly in the areas of adult social care.We are frequently warned that by 2020 most council funds will be needed just to deliver these services, with a little left for children’s services. This leaves libraries and the non statutory services with no source of funding. All the clever changes in the delivery model cannot alter that, unless we go for an entirely volunteer run library service and to me that is no library service at all.

To best solution in my view is a national or regional library agencies that commission the services based on national library standards, similar perhaps to the Northern Ireland model. This won’t protect us from cuts of course but it would mean that there would be a core fund available to allow the national standards to maintained and end the developing postcode lottery. It would also maximise the chance that key decisions concerning library services would be made by people with a library background and create a powerful body for library advocacy. The agencies could then choose the delivery model most suited for the particular libraries in question.

It would be a big change and one that wouldn’t be quick or easy but one that I think, would offer the best hope of maintaining quality public library services in the future.

One of the main reasons ‘we got into the situation ‘ is that CILIP – for more than a decade – has shown a complete lack of clarity and leadership .

They should have been able to tell councillors – ‘this is what we do’ ; ‘this is is why it is important and useful’ ; this is how best to spend your money ‘ and been clear and consistent about what the important actiivities are

There is no reason why CILIP could not have set ‘ Standards’ which laid down for councils and users ‘ this is what you should expect from a professional public library ‘

But they haven’t done any of those things – and where politicians might have turned to them for professional advice, as a body, they have instead earned the reputation of being interested only in their own governance and their own salaries –

It’s never too late to start – but a day out to a conference is not much hardship – perhaps a bit more commitment is in order