A public library news miscellany

Editorial

Lots of changes today, with some new libraries, some closures and plenty in-between. Other notable stories include the launch of Dementia books on prescription and the tale – very rare someone is brave enough to write publicly – of what it is like to be a librarian in an authority that’s trying to get rid of you.

Changes

• Bristol – St Paul’s community centre transferred to ethical investment company
• Cumbria – “Library Link” room opened at Ormsgill Nursery and Primary School.
• Havering – Library cuts revised: 5 (not 6) out of 10 libraries not be cut, survivors will have hours cut to 24 per week (was 25).
• Hull – Libraries will have reduced hours, including previously threatened Holderness Road.
• Milton Keynes – Kingston Library opened.
• Stoke – 10 250-book collections including at leisure centres and churches.
• Worcestershire – Hagley to be run by volunteers, with building and premises management costs paid for by parish council.

UK national news

• Libraries – it’s a “question of priorities” – Infoism. “Let’s not pretend that by cutting library services rather than cutting other services you are not having a massive impact on the most vulnerable. You are. It’s just that rather than hitting them directly, you are hitting them in areas that they won’t realise they need until it’s too late. You are not protecting them, you are merely delaying the harm you are doing to them. If it comes down to a “question of priorities” then cutting back and closing library services suggests that your priority is not to protect the most vulnerable, but to protect your own interests.”
• A Library scheme with no libraries? – Library Stuff / Barbara Band. “But what amazes me about this launch is that Norman Lamb, Minister of State for care and support, and Ed Vaizey, Minister of State for culture and the digital economy, were both there. Now the former could be excused for not being aware of the current situation regarding the mass closure of libraries with the handing over of many others to volunteers but Mr Vaizey has no excuse. Libraries are his remit, he is fully aware of the devastation of the public library system that is occurring throughout the country because he refuses to do anything about it. He knows that the structure for delivering this scheme is probably non-existent.”
• North Country Leisure becomes subsidiary of UK’s largest not-for-profit leisure firm – Journal. “GLL also has expertise and experience in managing wider cultural services such as libraries, children’s centres and sports development, providing councils a joined-up service solution at a time of financial pressure.”
• Reading Well Books on Prescription to help people with dementia – Reading Agency. “Public libraries in England have launched the latest Reading Well Books on Prescription scheme to support people with dementia and their carers, it is announced today. The ground-breaking scheme, which we run in partnership with the Society of Chief Librarians, with funding from Arts Council England, already helps over 275,000 people with common mental health conditions feel better through self-help reading. Now, it is turning its attention to the enormous need for quality-assured support for dementia care in the UK. ” see also Library scheme to support dementia sufferers – BookSeller.

“The 25 titles on the Reading Well Books on Prescription for dementia list have been recommended by health experts as well as people with lived experience. The list includes a range of books offering information and advice about dementia and normal aging, support with living well after diagnosis, practical advice for carers, personal accounts, and suggestions for shared therapeutic activities. The list is unveiled this afternoon at the official launch at the Wellcome Trust supported by Minister of State for Care and Support, Norman Lamb and Minister of State for Culture and the Digital Economy, Ed Vaizey.”

International news

• Call for participation at sister libraries programme – Naple Libraries (EU). “The programme is open to public libraries situated in any of the participating NAPLE countries/regions that wish to find a partner library in another country in order to establish a cooperation programme. Right now the libraries that can participate are those situated in Belgium, Croatia, Czech Republic, Finland, Greece, Ireland, Lithuania, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Scotland, Slovenia and Spain.”
• Financial literacy – Naple Libraries (EU). “Public libraries are “uniquely situated to promote literacy” (IFLA Section on Reading) but today’s complexity demands more than reading, writing, and numeracy skills: Atomic learning has identified a list of  12 of what they call “21^st century skills”, including digital citizenship, health literacy, critical thinking & problem solving, etc. Financial literacy is one of them and can be defined as “the ability to use knowledge and skills to manage financial resources effectively for a lifetime of financial well-being” (President’s Advisory Council on Financial Literacy).”

Events

• CILIP Conference 2015 – CILIP. 2-3 July in Liverpool. “Our carefully put-together programme has been designed to appeal to professionals from across the sector. Keynote speakers include the Director of Liberty, Shami Chakrabati and author R.David Lankes and they will be featured alongside twenty breakout sessions, delivered from experts across the library and information world. “
• Library Management Systems Suppliers Showcase – CILIP. 6th March in London.

UK news by local authority

• Barnet – Council to hold consultation evenings about threat of Barnet library closures – Ham and High. “Residents are invited to find out more about Barnet Council’s plans to cut £2.85million from the borough’s libraries service”
• Bristol – Day-to-day running of St Paul’s community centre transferred from Bristol City Council to ethical investment company – Bristol Post. “Organisations like the Ethical Property Company can be more flexible and agile, and in a better position to service the needs of the local community. “I have a lot of faith that Ethical Property will bring greater stability to the centre and that local people will be able to benefit for years to come.”  The centre is currently managed by the council’s library service. Kate Murray, head of libraries at the council, said: There have been a number of conversations concerning the future of the centre, and the council acknowledged that community management may serve the citizens of St Paul’s more fully than council management.  We are very pleased to be working with Ethical Property around the future of the centre and we are keen for library services to remain at the heart of it.”
• Calderdale – ‘Discretionary’ services may be hit – Hebden Bridge Times.  “Local Liberal Democrats have expressed dismay at the Conservative Cabinet’s proposals that “discretionary services” should take the biggest cut if large savings have to be made in three years’ time (2017/18).. They point out that cutting “discretionary services” could mean anything from shutting libraries, stopping giving grants to voluntary organisations, to reducing gritting to a bare minimum.”
• Cardiff – Campaigners hope Cardiff’s under-threat libraries could still be saved with a reprieve until 2016 – Wales Online. “Hopes are rising that seven under-threat libraries could be given a reprieve until 2016 after months of campaigning by local residents. Cardiff council has proposed withdrawing funding from several libraries in the city in a bid to save £283,000 and plug a gap in the authority’s finances.”.  Due to level of campaigning, “Now campaigners hope councillors will vote in favour of a motion calling for the libraries to be saved when it is put before them at a full council meeting on Thursday.”
• Cardiff – Cardiff libraries: a Council dispossesses its people – Gwallter. “On Saturday 7 February, National Libraries Day, hundreds of people plan to converge on the Central Library in Cardiff for a ‘read in’, to protest against the Council’s intention to cease funding seven of the city’s libraries and further degrade the Central Library.”
• Coventry – ‘Libraries are the heart of any community and without them people’s lives would be poorer’ – Coventry Telegraph. Lists reasons why libraries should not close in the city.
• Cumbria – New Barrow library opens – North West Evening Mail. “A bigger and better community library was officially opened to the public with the cutting of a ceremonial ribbon yesterday. It will be based in Ormsgill Nursery and Primary School, in Millbank, where all of the pupils have become library members. The move was the idea of County Councillor Bill McEwan who contributed £3,228 from his local revenue scheme funding towards the library’s refurbishment.” … ““The Library Link wasn’t well used at the children’s centre, so we felt it would benefit from a move to another location. The new library has its own dedicated room in a large space with a wider choice of books and increased opening hours.””
• Havering – Havering budget cuts shake up after consultation – Romford Recorder.  “We have been deliberating,” he said. “We are asking officers to investigate possible changes in savings and to let us have a report at a meeting on February 4. We need to move quickly.” First up was the libraries. Original proposals, which would have seen six of the borough’s 10 facilities have their opening hours halved, caused outrage among residents. Officers will now be asked to look at changing this to five, though there was no word on which one would be saved. The other five would see their hours reduced to 24, rather than the proposed 25. The reading programme would also be safe, Cllr Ramsey confirmed.”
• Hull – ‘City of culture’ cuts library hours – Yorkshire Post. “Cash-strapped Labour run Hull Council has agreed to reduce opening hours, including those of popular Central Library, which will close on Wednesday mornings and Friday afternoons from March. Holderness Road library, which had faced closure, will now close two days a week.”
• Hull – ‘We deserve gold medal for keeping Hull libraries open’ – but hours will be cut – Hull Daily Mail. “Cllr Geraghty, the cabinet portfolio holder for leisure, said: “We did a very extensive consultation on these changes and I was concerned that, having to find these sort of savings, people would think we were just going to close libraries full stop. I was very pleased to find 80 per cent of those who did respond supported a reduction in opening hours as an alternative. “We are going down that route because once a building is closed, in my experience, it doesn’t usually open again.
• Lambeth – Exclusive: Lambeth Council considering moving Lambeth Archives from Minet Library to Brixton Library – Brixton Buzz. “Lambeth Council is considering moving the Lambeth Archives from the Minet Library to Brixton Library. Brixton Buzz understands that a consultation for this process will start on 30 January. It is uncertain what this would mean for the long-term future of the Minet, should the Lambeth Archives head over to Brixton.”
• Lancashire – Mercury Prize winners ‘Young Fathers’ to play Skelmersdale Library – Southport Visiter. “One of the UK’s hottest bands have confirmed they will play a gig at Skelmersdale library. Scottish hip hop group Young Fathers, who won the 2014 Barclaycard Mercury Prize, will play the library on March 13 as their opening gig on a 19 date tour of the UK. The band are playing the unusual venue as part of a campaign called Get It Loud In Libraries which aims to get young people visiting their local library.”
• Lincolnshire – Lincolnshire libraries: committee agrees recommendation to turn more than 30 libraries into community-run hubs – Lincolnshire Echo. “Inside, a council scrutiny committee meeting discussed the proposal and agreed its recommendation that the executive implements the scheme when it meets on February 3. The scrutiny committee has heard comments from both residents and councillors, including Maurice Nauta who is a campaigner and former librarian.”
• Lincolnshire – Lincolnshire libraries: ‘disgraceful con-trick’ by Conservative councillors, claims Labour – Lincolnshire Echo. Audit report: “Labour says it reveals how Lincolnshire Conservatives were secretly planning to slash library opening hours – at the same time as making county-wide election promises to “improve library opening hours”. see also photographs of the demonstration.
• Lincolnshire – Lincolnshire libraries saga: Martin Hill blames a lack of scrutiny – Lincolnshire Echo. “The leader of Lincolnshire County Council Martin Hill says the chance of a libraries outsourcing deal was missed due to a lack of scrutiny. Councillor Hill was speaking at this morning’s audit committee meeting which considered a damning report into his authority’s handling of the future of libraries.” … “Labour has now rounded on the council following the publication of an internal audit’s findings.  It claims the ruling Conservatives postponed consultation on its libraries decision until after the May 2013 election for political gain.”
• Lincolnshire – Listen … heartfelt plea from key Lincolnshire library campaigner #LincsLibraryScrutiny – Save Lincolnshire Libraries. “Read out at the Library Scrutiny Meeting (27 January 2015) by Cllr Jackie Brockway on behalf of Maurice Nauta, resident, campaigner and former librarian.”

“Think also about the current library staff and those who have already lost their jobs. I believe they are not allowed to speak to the media or anyone else about their plight and what is happening to our libraries. I want to assure them that I, and the residents of Lincolnshire, will be eternally grateful for the service they have given and continue to give, despite great stress and low morale. It is telling that there have been no apologies from the Executive to those staff and no thanks to them either. People reveal their true natures in the way they treat those unable to fight back”

• Lincolnshire – Lincolnshire libraries saga: Martin Hill blames a lack of scrutiny – Lincolnshire Echo. “The leader of Lincolnshire County Council Martin Hill says the chance of a libraries outsourcing deal was missed due to a lack of scrutiny. Councillor Hill was speaking at this morning’s audit committee meeting which considered a damning report into his authority’s handling of the future of libraries.” … “Labour has now rounded on the council following the publication of an internal audit’s findings.
  
• Lincolnshire – Julie Harrison’s speech on libraries 
• Lincolnshire – Libraries: Speech to Lincolnshire County Council – Labour Rose. “Charles Dickens would have dropped everything to have been here today to defend Libraries.Just as he dropped everything over 150 years ago when the Mayor of Manchester invited him to the opening ceremony of the first free Library. In his acceptance note he said “The occasion is far too important and the example too noble to admit hesitation’.”
• Lincolnshire – Reporting from the Lincs Library Frontline – Behind the Gag – Save Lincolnshire Libraries. “The ongoing and seemingly endless saga of Lincolnshire Libraries has if we are honest inevitably divided opinion amongst librarians themselves. There are some who just want the whole sorry mess sorted out once and for all and others who think that the continuing fight is worth pursuing. What is clear though is that the people who are the very heart of this; i.e. librarians, feel gagged from speaking out no matter what higher management might say about avenues being open to them. Morale is understandably at an all time low as some staff have been forced to take second part time jobs in order to make ends meet after being given pitifully and laughably short hours”

“It seems somewhat ironic that £22 million has been spent on a ‘library’ to house one book that no one will actually read and it is yet again an example of how Lincoln attracts the investment at the expense of more deprived areas. The Magna Carta celebrations are of course important but in this era of austerity surely a more toned down development at Lincoln Castle would have been in order and more efforts made to secure funding for modern libraries.”

• Milton Keynes – Library opens to customers today – take a look around! – MK Web. “The new Kingston Library officially opened its doors today (Tuesday January 27). The building boasts modern facilities such as a self-service checking out system, unlimited Wi-Fi and sockets for customers to use their own laptops and tablets in the library space. Many are the first of their kind in Milton Keynes. The library will have a community focus, hosting a children’s hour, story time, play activities, screenings and music. Meeting space will also be available for community groups to hire, and the library’s top floor is home to Explore Learning, who are renting the space”
• Northern Ireland – Future cuts to libraries not ruled out – Fermanagh Herald. “Libraries NI told the Fermanagh Herald that they have £1.4m of worth of cuts to make across the North, and said that there is an ongoing review of budgets heading into 2015 – which could impact on the county’s three libraries: Enniskillen, Irvinestown, and when completed, Lisnaskea. A spokesman said: “As a result of budget cuts, Libraries NI is required to save at least 4.4% of its budget (£1.4 million) in-year by March 2015. Further in-year savings have not been ruled out and immediate steps must be taken to deliver these spending cuts.”
• Stoke on Trent – Library opens at leisure centre in Abbey Hulton – Stoke Sentinel. “Staff at the Abbey Hulton-based Wallace Sports and Education Centre, in Abbey Hulton, have taken over the running of the book collection service as part of Stoke-on-Trent City Council’s wider volunteer-led library initiative.” … “The mini leisure centre library now houses 250 books, which are replaced and refreshed every six weeks.” … “There are now 10 such facilities including at Ball Green Methodist Church, Swan Bank Methodist Church in Burslem, Blurton Hub, Fenton Hub and the Whitfield Valley Community Centre in Fegg Hayes – to name a few. And more volunteer-led libraries are expected to appear in the coming weeks and months.”
• Thurrock – The future of Thurrock Library Service consultation – Thurrock Council. “There is a strong commitment to both the provision of a library service in Thurrock and the development of this to make it relevant to resident’s changing needs.  In recent years work to support shared delivery with Community Hubs has been developed along with a move towards an improved service for those with limited mobility who are unable to visit libraries through our Home-link Service. We are now developing the next phase of our library delivery transformation and as a part of this we need to also make a 39% saving due to funding changes. To achieve this whilst developing the service on offer for residents we are consulting on the following proposals:” [Some questionable points:  e.g. “Do you think local communities should be able to run their local libraries and seek external funding to support them?” but fails to explain to people that they already pay through taxation for what is a statutory service. Also lists possible services from the library with no mention of information/reference services at all – Ed.]
• Worcestershire – Hagley Parish Council steps in to save library – Stourbridge News. “An agreement has been reached whereby the county council will continue to provide a library service through the support of volunteers while the parish council takes over the responsibility for the building and the premises management costs involved. “