Comments on: Public library budget for the UK falls roughly one-tenth in one year. Ouch. https://www.publiclibrariesnews.com/2017/12/public-library-budget-for-the-uk-falls-roughly-one-tenth-in-one-year-ouch.html What's happening to your library? Sun, 17 Dec 2017 20:37:20 +0000 hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.8.3 By: James Powney https://www.publiclibrariesnews.com/2017/12/public-library-budget-for-the-uk-falls-roughly-one-tenth-in-one-year-ouch.html#comment-21150 Wed, 13 Dec 2017 12:38:01 +0000 http://www.publiclibrariesnews.com/?p=13409#comment-21150 These are gloomy figures for the country as a whole, and you are right on the statistics, but falling budgets are not the same as falling outcomes. I know I have banged this drum many times before, but it is worth remembering that during a period when national library visits declined by 14%, Brent’s went up by 61%. In the same period, loans went down 25.1% nationally, but rose by 8% in Brent.

Brent achieved this despite a reduced budget and fewer buildings through a programme of seven day opening, the refurbishment of Kilburn Library, a new library at Willesden and a new library at Wembley. It also continues to have a service with trained, Council paid employees in buildings belonging to the Council.

]]> By: librariesmatter https://www.publiclibrariesnews.com/2017/12/public-library-budget-for-the-uk-falls-roughly-one-tenth-in-one-year-ouch.html#comment-21143 Wed, 13 Dec 2017 10:47:32 +0000 http://www.publiclibrariesnews.com/?p=13409#comment-21143 It is encouraging to read that the SCL, Taskforce and CILIP are keen to sort out Public Libraries performance reporting mess. Also good to see Kevin Brennan MP’s action over the inability of the DDCMS to publish meaningful information on public libraries.

As an easily achievable improvement now at virtually no cost SCL members could put up their latest CIPFA library returns on their Council websites together with a web link to the CIPFA library profile data. If they have the CIPFA Annual Public Library Statistics book they could presumably make the book available on their library catalogue.

Being keen on open data and delivering it are two very different things. I’ll believe the improvements in library performance reporting when I see them.

]]>