Comments on: 2000 fewer libraries? Ed Vaizey again decides not to intervene

By: Frank Daniels

Frank Daniels — Fri, 03 Apr 2015 19:50:08 +0000

Just noticed the “heads up” courtesy of John Dolan of Cilip re the British Council’s efforts to open libraries in Pakistan. Begs the question whether I need to move to Pakistan soon if I wish to continue borrowing books from public libraries….

By: Shirley Burnham

Shirley Burnham — Thu, 02 Apr 2015 21:02:09 +0000

Have we missed an important message from the Secretary of State? Think about it for a minute.

Is he announcing that the Home Delivery Service will be expanded to include everyone who was able to access a local library but will be able to do so no longer?

That is a huge change to its remit. At the moment, the Service targets only the housebound.

To achieve the expansion foreseen, the Home Delivery Service would need many more volunteers to deliver books – Many many thousands, even, if it were to be extended to other rural populations. Perhaps someone will ask the WRVS and/or Library Authorities if they think what the Secretary of State is saying is desirable or feasible?

And it also begs the question as to whether Home Delivery is an adequate replacement for a static library. Won’t it render more citizens *prematurely* shut-in and dependent – which must be bad? And Is the replacement of a library service by a bag of books – for those who aren’t housebound’ per se – compatible with what is statutory provision?

What is meant? We MUST ask.

By: librariesmatter

librariesmatter — Thu, 02 Apr 2015 12:10:08 +0000

Lincolnshire CC are reducing their statutory library service down to 15 static libraries from the previous 47. The reduction means that 74% of the population will now be within 30 minutes public transport time of a library. The 30 minutes public transport time can perhaps be equated to a distance of 10 miles (assuming a public transport speed of 20mph). Thus under Lincolnshire CC’s library plan 74% of the population will be within 10 miles of a library.

Up until 2008 the there was an English public library standard for counties that stated that at least 85% of the population should be within 2 miles of a public library.

The decline in the library service that Councils are obliged to provide is enormous.

Surely – a ‘Beeching’ moment for libraries.