Archive for October, 2018

Editorial

It’s been great over the weekend to see the outpouring of support for public libraries for the “Protect library services by ringfencing government funding for libraries” petition. On Thursday, it looked like the petition would not reach 8,000 but due to the support of many people commenting on how important libraries are and retweeting, it hit the magic 10,000 – where the government needs to respond – on Saturday lunchtime and is now at a respectable 15,401 and going up at a couple per minute when checked. Notable supporters include – squee! – JK Rowlling, Neil Gaiman, Philip Pullman, Malorie Blackman, Joanne Harris and Frank Cottrell Boyce and a ton of other authors. Thank you to Frances Belbin for starting the petition and to everyone who has taken part. It’s not over yet: the petition stays on the books until 24 March 2019 and if it hits 100,000 then it needs to be debated in parliament. It’s a dream. None of us are foolish enough I think to believe this will change government policy but it keeps the pressure up, means every one of us can do something and keep the snowball rolling. And it gives help. Sign now if you haven’t already – it takes 30 seconds and you need to confirm your email address – and tell others. It will give you, and libraries, hope. and the government a reason to think about libraries. I understand it is already helping in conversations with them.

How much do you value public libraries? This petition has, basically, stalled at just over 7k. It needs less than 3k more to force a response. Your option is to either let it die or sign it and retweet. Over to you. https://t.co/7evME0GaTD

— Ian Anstice (@publiclibnews) October 25, 2018

My thanks also to my old tutor, Dr Bob Usherwood, who has taken the time to write below. It’s worth a read. And, yes, I know I am publishing pieces opposed to eachother but, well, I should . It’s what being balanced is all about.

Changes by local authority

• Derbyshire – Swadlincote Library may move in district council move.
• Lancashire – Poulton Library closed for unknown period due to ceiling problems.
• Worcestershire – School Library Service confirmed to close.

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Editorial

I was at a meeting of the Library Campaign on Saturday, after nipping into the People’s Vote march beforehand. It was full of deeply committed people from all around the country fighting for what they believe is right against a government who needs to pay more attention. And, yes, so was the march.

There is much polarisation in this nation and what’s going on in libraries and with Brexit shows it in sharp relief. But there are good things happening as well. I see some beautiful refurbishments and new buildings, as well as genuine creativity – I love especially toy sleepovers, drag queen story times and dog reading partners but there is at least a new idea a week and so many passionate people. Focusing just on cuts would be to do the library service a disservice, and would personally make me far too angry and depressed to carry on. So it’s good to see Ayub’s piece below trying to redress the balance.

Finally, I need to mark the retirement of Phil Bradley. I knew him first via his CILIP column and his time as president and I was very pleased to be able to catch a chat with him at his home a few years ago. He’s a lovely man, who knows his stuff so well, is passionate and done so much for libraries. Thank you, Phil, thank you.

Changes by local authority

• Bath and North East Somerset – Weston Library now volunteer.
• North Lincolnshire –  Riddings Library co-located with leisure centre.
• Oxfordshire – Woodstock Library closed indefinitely due to structural problems.
• Sheffield – Plan for commercial café at Walkley Library cancelled.

Ideas

• Hearing aid battery provision

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Editorial

Last week, as I imagine absolutely everyone reading this will know, was Libraries Week. Scanning all of the news about the sector, as I do, it’s obvious that the Week does raise the profile of the public libraries. Most interestingly, the libraries minister himself, Michael Ellis, was seen in a public library or two, and even spoke about them, and I understand that even the DCMS minister his or herself (I see their name so rarely I can’t remember) was seen to show a momentary interest too. All the normal allies of libraries – basically, authors and the Guardian – raised their interest and it was notable that the BBC mentioned it a few times too. Most public libraries these days, unlike back when it started, marked the week as did Libraries Connected. And, of course, befitting the origin of the Week in protest, Labour used it to publish the result of a cuts survey. Much of the publicity, indeed the majority, was positive and that’s great because, frankly, the two things Joe Public thinks they know is that libraries are closing (they’re not, massively, but rather being hollowed out) and are becoming outdated due to ebooks (just no).

Changes

• Bradford – Addingham volunteer library granted £50k to improve building. £950k cut expected 2019/20.
• Derby – Transfer of 10 libraries to community groups put on hold.
• Enfield – Ponders End library closes as part of development, with temporarily facility to open next Spring, new library to open in 2021.
• Hertfordshire – Wheathampstead and Redbourn libraries to move into co-locations with fire stations.
• Leicester – Rushey Mead Library saved from closure.
• Lewisham – £450k cut proposed with cuts to staffing in Lewisham Library, Deptford Lounge and Downham Library.
• Northamptonshire – Daventry Library to move to ground floor of Abbey Centre.
• North Somerset – Nailsea Library saved from closure.
• Shropshire – Pontesbury Library may move into co-location.
• Torfaen – £200k p.a. cut confirmed: will create £240k in redundancy cuts, with loss of five posts.
• Trafford – New library being built on site of general hospital, with Open+.

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