If variety is the spice of libraries …

Editorial

It’s interesting to see how widely charges and fines vary between library services. Last week, we saw that fines range from nothing to 50p per day per item. This time, there’s a news story about Cambridgeshire libraries introducing charges for computer use and author events. Such things are standard practice in many library services but apparently novel there. “Premier membership” is an idea that has been tried before, with uncertain success as far as I can tell. The most unusual thing I can see on the list is charging for storytimes which is unusual (but not unique – hello Milton Keynes).. And this is the thing, there’s so much variety in libraries  that the odds that the novel idea has probably been done elsewhere, sometimes surprising even a deep library nerd like me.

Changes

• Cambridgeshire – Charges introduced for computer use. Considering charging for author events and storytimes, premier membership.
• North Lincolnshire – Barton library to move into co-location.
• North Tyneside – Smaller libraries reduced to 2.5 day opening per week.
• West Dunbartonshire – Money taken from reduced opening hours to spend on “modernising”.

National news

•  Libraries by Law, not just “nice to have” – CILIP. “We were therefore disappointed to see a reference to public libraries as ‘discretionary’ in a recent opinion piece published on the Guardian website. Our CEO, Nick Poole, wrote to the Guardian Editor (see below) and we are pleased to confirm that following this letter the Guardian has now corrected the reference.” see Setting council budgets is a messy series of unattractive compromises – Guardian.
• Young People’s Library Survey – Libraries Taskforce. “Meaningful evidence about the impact of public library services on children and young people can be transformative for libraries in terms of the support they receive from partners, funders and stakeholders. Data gathered from children and young people themselves is particularly powerful. In December 2017, ASCEL published a report by CIPFA which analyses the results of the Young People’s Library Survey from 2014 -2017. The data is drawn from 344 libraries representing 18 library services and over 40,000 children, young people and their families. It maps the results against the index of multiple deprivation.”

International news

• USA -Guns in the Library | Safety & Security – Library Journal. “video walking viewers through these steps for reacting to an active shooter in a public place has received 6.5 million YouTube views since 2012 and forms a key part of a new generation of safety training for libraries. “
• USA – On Lost Library Books And The #BestPartofMyDay – Librarygirl. “We are not debt collectors. We are reading champions. And, for those kids, like me, who don’t have books at home and whose home lives make keeping up with borrowed materials challenging,”
• USA – Weeding — Love It or Hate It – Public Libraries Online. “it seems that not as much weeding is being done in libraries as should be. The question is, why are some of these items still on shelves and does a lack of weeding mean something more than it appears on the surface?”

Local news

• Bath and North East Somerset – Work begins in preparation for Town’s Library move – Journal. “Work to modernise and improve the Midsomer Norton Hollies Council building, which will soon be home to the town’s library, is about to get under way.”
• Birmingham – Libraries in Birmingham – Libraries Taskforce. Library of Birmingham gets the publicity but there are “the 36 other public libraries which also serve the people of the city, which, although they are collectively labelled community libraries, are (all bar one) managed by the council. A new structure is being rolled out, involving 4 tiers of provision. I was privileged to visit 3 libraries in the area recently which illustrate how library services continue to evolve, and hear from members of the team about the role they fill in their communities.” … “By introducing a tiered model they have maintained all their sites (except for Kents Moat which is in an area of redevelopment). They are shortly hoping to reopen West Heath Library and Sutton Coldfield Library supported by FOLIO (Friends of Libraries in our Sutton Coldfield) – the latter of which is currently being refurbished to incorporate the children’s play café Little Green Book worms.”

“although they are collectively labelled community libraries, are (all bar one) managed by the council” [The first example I’ve seen of the original meaning of “community libraries” as branch libraries, instead of meaning volunteer libraries, being commented upon as unusual – Ed.]

• Buckinghamshire – County council move to slash ‘valuable’ library opening hours is scrapped – Bucks Free Press. “The county’s libraries were at risk of having their opening hours cut by 37.5 hours a week in a bid to save £140,000 a year, according to the county council’s budget plans for 2018/19. However, the move has been scrapped after money was found elsewhere to balance the libraries budget.”
• Bury – Opening date for new Tottington Centre and Community Library revealed – Bury Times. “Bury Council confirmed they had agreed to lease Tottington Library, which was one of ten closed across the borough, to the Friends of Tottington Library group. Volunteers have spent the past few weeks working to get the building, which will now go by the name Tottington Centre and Community Library, ready for reopening on March 14.”
• Cambridgeshire – Cambridgeshire Council’s move to charge for computers in libraries is ‘ill conceived and money grabbing’ say opposition members – Fenland Citizen. “Labour Councillor Jocelynne Scutt said the plans to commercialise libraries runs the risk of creating a ‘two tier’ service for residents and could marginalise low income and vulnerable families. Coun Scutt said: “Our library services are, and must remain, trusted spaces open to all where anyone can explore and share reading, information, knowledge and culture.” see also Library Extra is a ‘double charge’ for residents – Cambridge Independent. “A Library Extra Scheme is to be introduced that would give paying members “a range of value-added special membership benefits” such as “premium member receptions”.”
• Camden – Future library closures ‘over my dead body’ says Camden Councillor – Ham and High. “The Friends of West Hampstead Library got a welcome anniversary gift when the councillor responsible for libraries told them further library closures would happen “over his dead body.”” … “”
• Ceredigion – Community group saves town library from closure – Camrbian News. Llandysul “Ceredigion County Council has agreed a deal with the community group to take over the running of the library after it was initially earmarked for closure by the council in cost-cutting efforts.”
• Cumbria – Cumbria council approves £34.5m cuts – including to library books and public health – Times and Star. Staggering cuts which will see services ranging from library books to public health slashed have been approved by Cumbria County Council.”
• Falkirk -Budget latest: No libraries, sports halls or community centres will close – Falkirk Herald.  “despite the predictions of doom and gloom by our opponents, there will be no closure of any libraries, sports halls or community centres.”
• Hampshire – Figures show fewer books are being borrowed in libraries across Hampshire – The News. “A Freedom of Information Act request by Highbury College’s journalism course to Hampshire County Council revealed more than 300,000 fewer books were borrowed from libraries across the area in the past two years.”
• Hertfordshire – Hertfordshire County Council could outsource the running of the county’s libraries – Hertfordshire Mercury. “A public consultation is currently underway, looking for residents’ views on how the county’s libraries should be run from 2018 to 2021.(HCC) is to outsource the day to day management of the facilities to an outside business.”
• Kirklees – Time running out to have your say on the future of our libraries – Huddersfield Daily Examiner. “consultation period with people using the borough’s 22 libraries ends on Monday, April 2”
• Lambeth – Carnegie Library reopens, but community protests continue – South London Press and Mercury. “protester Laura Swaffield said: “The new Carnegie library is a shrunken, mostly unstaffed neighbourhood library that nobody wants – in the middle of a noisy building site where £3 million of taxpayers’ money is being wasted to install a gym that people want even less.”” see also Carnegie Library re-opens – BookSeller. ” the re-opening of the library that work was “nearing completion”, allowing the facility to initially open in the main hall on the ground floor of the building, for 40 hours per week. The rest of the building will “open in phases”, it said.”
• Lancashire – Bid to transform former Trawden library takes step closer – Lancashire Telegraph. Plans to turn “a former library into a village post office and community shop have taken a step closer. “ 
• Leeds – Leeds Library marks 250th birthday with WildLines – Yorkshire Evening Post. UK’s oldest subscription library. “WildLines will feature a series of talks from leading nature writers and will also celebrate the library’s vast collection of natural history books.”
• Norfolk – Libraries in West Norfolk need more volunteers to continue scheme – Lynn News. “need more volunteers to enable them to continue a scheme which teaches residents vital reading skills.”
• North Ayrshire – Rumours of Largs Library move to Vikingar – Largs and Millport News. “This is just one of a number of options we considered in consultation with the local community but we have no immediate plans to relocate Largs Library to the Vikingar”
• North Lincolnshire  – Decision made on new £1.2m library and wellbeing hub in North Lincolnshire – Scunthorpe Telegraph. “North Lincolnshire Council say a range of key services will be transformed to create a new library and wellbeing hub for Barton residents under the one roof. The project will create around 20 construction jobs and work could start as early as summer 2018. The move will see the library and local link, currently based at Providence House, relocated to the leisure centre, along with the Health and Wellbeing Hub, and Adult Community Learning.”
• North Tyneside – Bins, council tax and libraries will be hit in North Tyneside as budget is approved – Chronicle Live. “The programme includes a 5% council tax rise, fortnightly bin collections instead of weekly pick-ups and cuts to library opening hours. The four main libraries – at Killingworth, Wallsend, Whitley Bay and North Shields – will remain open five days a week and half a day on a Saturday. Branch libraries will open two weekdays and half a day on Saturdays.” see also Library campaign receives support – News Guardian. “The campaign to save Cullercoats Library from a cut to its opening hours has attracted a lot of support from the local community. More than 200 Valentine cards to the library – mostly hand-made – are currently on display inside The Salt House Brasserie on the sea-front.”
• North Yorkshire – Colburn Library closes temporarily due to anti-social behaviour – Richmondshire Today. “Library volunteers have endured repeated harassment by young people. There have been further problems this week with young people entering the building and refusing to leave.”
• Sandwell – Rowley Town Libraries launch recruitment campaign for new friends – Halesowen News. “Sandwell Council’s Rowley Town Libraries service currently have two friends groups operating at their bases, a combined one at Cradley Heath and Blackheathlibraries and another at Oakham Library. Leaders at the library service are now launching a recruitment campaign to find anyone who would like to work in the community and join the existing groups.”
• Somerset – Campaigners protest in a bid to keep Highbridge Library open – Weekly News. “Highbridge residents and members of campaign group, Save Highbridge Library, held up signs and chanted outside the library yesterday (February 15) in an effort to halt its closure” see also Friends of Somerset Libraries slate county council – WSFP. “Friends of Somerset Libraries has criticised Somerset County Council for changing wording on the consultation, which it said was “very disappointing”. And in Wiveliscombe, campaigners to save the town library have hit out at yet more pressure being put on over-stretched and underfunded volunteers.” and – ‘Highbridge Library must be saved from closure’ – former MP Tessa Munt – Burnham On Sea. Also attacks “ludicrous” nature of the consultation, such as it having so much text that it would take nine hours to read. and Council promises ‘there will still be library services’ in places where buildings could close – North Somerset Times. “Long Ashton may have only a mobile service in the future, while Nailsea and Clevedon’s library service is earmarked to be relocated to ‘smaller premises’ or ‘shared facilities’. Nailsea Town Council said it was not consulted over the proposals.”
• Somerset – Wells MP backs library fight – Weston Mercury. “Wells MP James Heappey, whose constituency includes Cheddar, has backed the Friends of Cheddar Library as it looks to work with Somerset County Council to ensure the village’s library remains open.”
• Suffolk – New Suffolk library chief takes over as service focuses on being at heart of communities – Lowestoft Journal. “Suffolk’s library service has a new chief executive after Bruce Leeke took over from Alison Wheeler, who has taken early retirement six years after setting up the new organisation.”
• Suffolk – Memories of great sports events will help bring people together – EADT. “Open to all, the new Sporting Memories groups – which will take place weekly at six libraries across the county – will also welcome people living with dementia, depression and loneliness by bringing people together to talk about their memories of sport.”
• West Dunbartonshire – Councillors vote to slash library hours in bid to ‘modernise’ them – Dunbarton Reporter. “he reduction in hours at all branches will be used to save money on the service, to be reinvested in movable shelves and even £5,000 for a mobile bar at Clydebank Town Hall. But Labour councillors blasted the cuts and said the £421,000 investments could easily come from regeneration budgets instead of capital funding, erasing the need for reducing services.”