Not all that key or critical then, plus a national humiliation

Editorial

A couple of things to talk about this week. The first is that this is the busiest week for a long while in terms of changes to budget, and all of it is bad. Croydon, Leeds and Lewisham are looking at some serious cuts. It’s nothing we’ve not seen before but this is the first time such cuts have been announcing while at the same time library workers are being described as “Key/critical workers” by the minister of state for Digital and Culture.

Secondly, and I know I have been here before but nothing has changed, I would like to flag the general frustration at the continuing lack of a “single digital presence”, or national public library website. This is made especially obvious today by the announcement that an academy is being paid to offer a free e-book to every child in the country. Well, that should have been through public libraries. And we could have done it a whole lot better (just the one e-book at a time? Good grief) but inertia, atomisation and a general lack of urgency from the DCMS on down has led to the current and continuing no-show.

This was embarrassing and obvious at the start of lockdown in March and is doubly so now, almost a year on. The British Library are currently finishing off a (hopefully) final research project on the subject and I hope then that it all hits the ground running. Because this lack of a site is a humiliation for the whole public library sector. And it needs to be addressed. Now.

Changes by local authority

• Calderdale – Shelf volunteer library building may be sold off by council.
• Croydon – 5 libraries (Bradmore Green, Shirley, Sanderstead, South Norwood and Broad Green) to close, consultation from 14 January to 5 March.
• Hampshire – £40k from council for volunteer libraries. Odiham, Horndean, Lea on Solent and Elson to become volunteer.
• Leeds – £1.5m cut including staffing and opening hours.
• Lewisham – £350k-£500k cut expected.

National news

• Downloading a new normal: Privacy, exclusion, and information behaviour in public library digital services use during COVID – New Normal. “This project explores the ‘digital turn’ brought about by COVID, the experience of the compelled move from analogue to digital in public libraries, from multiple perspectives :– (1) Organisational and sectoral issues (2) Ethical issues (3) User information behaviour issues”
• Libraries are part of the Covid frontline – and they need our help – Penguin. “I was pulled (not literally, as we must keep two metres apart from our colleagues at all times) aside and warned that I had been caught breaching our Covid safety rules, putting myself and others at risk and potentially earning me a formal disciplinary or worse. I had allowed a member of the public to place their mobile phone in my gloved hand. I tried to explain that the library user in question had asked me to print off a series of photographs for them; the user was severely dyslexic, and our print system can be difficult for even the most IT-savvy of users.”

• Lockdown made our library better – BookSeller. “I have seen so many library services just disappear due to lockdown, both in France and England, and I am so proud of what we achieved. Even if not everything worked out the way we wanted to, whether it was in terms of attendance or technical problems, we always managed to find a solution and to take something from everything we did, either a new skill, a new way to work together or a new tool to develop in future projects. I think the best side of all that is that we are already thinking about the future and creating hybrid events, both digital and physical, and new ways to interact with our customers in the future. “

“So we have learnt and enjoyed a great deal from delivering services and engaging with the community in 2020 and very much looking forward to innovation in 2021. It was a difficult year for everybody but in terms of my job, I absolutely had a brilliant year, developed events and projects I never thought I would have time to work on, and it was really good to have this space to innovate and try new things.”

Marion Tessier, Kingston Libraries. 

• Poor families’ living costs have surged during pandemic, UK study finds – Guardian. “Normal coping strategies employed by poorer families – visiting friends and families for occasional meals, or using the library for free internet access, and charity shops for cheap clothes – became harder as a result of household mixing restrictions and the closure of libraries and non-essential retail.”
• Virtual library gives children in England free book access – BBC. “Children in England will be able to access books online free during school closures via a virtual library. Internet classroom Oak National Academy created the library after schools moved to remote learning for the majority of pupils until February half-term.”

International news

• Austria – The living room behind the bookshelves – Designing Libraries. “The building’s curved shape can only be experienced on the inside at the reading spots arranged along the outer walls of the open-access library on the ground and upper floor. A two-storey atrium is cut out of the volume, forming a rectangular space provided natural light by skylights.”
• Global – Over 100 Public Libraries Exceed 1 Million Digital Book Checkouts in 2020 – PR Newswire. ” A record 102 public library systems from around the world empowered readers to borrow over 1 million ebooks and audiobooks from their digital collections in 2020. This represents the most systems ever to reach this milestone through OverDrive, the leading digital reading platform. Contributing factors include increased digital book usage due to the pandemic, elevated interest in social justice titles and BIPOC authors and strong circulation growth for children’s and young adult titles because of remote learning.”
• Netherlands / Norway – Designed to inspire – Designing Libraries. Netherlands: “The library is part of a completely renovated multifunctional centre in the heart of the municipality of Cranendonck, The Netherlands. It has a theatre hall, meeting rooms, spaces for workshops, a sports hall, as well as the library, and is a home to various clubs and associations.”. Norway: “You easily get a cathedral feeling from the light in the large windows in the high, open space. The number of visitors in the library has tripled and lending rates have also increased significantly. The increased number of visitors is partly due to the central location in the local culture house, where the library is located in the middle of Vindafjord’s social and cultural hub.”
• Taiwan – Taiwan’s Tainan celebrates grand opening of main library – Taiwan News. “The library comprises six above-ground floors and two below. It houses about 600,000 books, including 500 for the visually impaired and 16,000 authored during the Japanese colonial era. In addition, the building features a cafe, an independent bookstore, a culinary arts classroom, a co-working space, three public art spaces, and a memorial exhibition that pays tribute to more than 200 deceased notable figures in Tainan. A playground and an outdoor reading area are also under construction.”
• USA – The Surprisingly Complicated History of Conan the Librarian – CBR. Who made the joke first? Nope, it wasn’t Monty Python.
  • Meet the Southern librarians fighting for racial justice and truth-telling – Scalawag. “Most of the librarians I spoke to were of two minds: the vision of what they hope the library to become and what they can achieve right now. “
  • Meredith Anding Jr., member of the ‘Tougaloo Nine,’ dies – Independent. “On March 27, 1961, nine students first visited the Black library requested books they knew were not available. They then visited Jackson Public Library and searched for the books. When they sat down and began to read, the library staff called the police. The students refused to leave. They were arrested and charged with breach of the peace.”
  • ‘Tacky’, ‘tawdry’ and a project of self-aggrandisement: Will anyone want Trump’s presidential library? – Independent. ““It is an opportunity for self-aggrandisement. And he has demonstrated some real narcissistic tendencies,” she says. “So having a museum to himself and his presidency, I imagine would be incredibly attractive to him.””

Local news by authority

• Bury – Bury’s libraries continue to offer lockdown service – Bury Times. Click and collect, PCs.
• Calderdale – Over 1,000 sign Shelf Village Hall and Library petition – Telegraph and Argus. “The council has said a number of buildings, including Shelf Village Hall, which houses its library, will be sold off if public groups cannot take them over, moves agreed by Cabinet as part of its Future Council programme to identify cuts which will need to be made to balance the books over a three year period.”
• Cheshire East – Here are the 15 Cheshire East libraries offering click and collect in lockdown – Cheshire Live.
• Croydon – Survey opens on Croydon’s future libraries service – Your Croydon. 14 January to 7 March. 5 libraries (Bradmore Green, Shirley, Sanderstead, South Norwood and Broad Green) to close.
• Dudley – Good news for Dudley’s library users – Dudley News. Click and collect.
• East Riding – Order and Collect service continues at East Riding libraries during lockdown – Planet Radio. Click and collect, home library service.
  • Threats to kill and intimidation among reasons people were banned from East Yorkshire libraries in 2020 – Hull Live. “A threat to kill a staff member was one of the 20 reasons people were banned from East Riding libraries and leisure centres in 2020.”
• Essex – Essex County Council agrees to match funding for BAME library books – In Your Area. “The chairman of the council’s housing and communities committee, Councillor Kerry Smith, wrote to the county council asking for them to match the £1,000 in funding it had given to purchase new books featuring BAME protagonists for the county’s libraries.”
  • Campaign seeks free products in Uttlesford’s public buildings – Saffron Walden Reporter. ” if approved, the measure would trailblaze for other local authorities to take the same action across England. It would provide free sanitary products in schools, libraries, youth centres and public toilets. “
• Hampshire – Bid to save libraries is given £40k cash boost – Daily Echo. Council giving money to set up volunteer libraries at “Horndean, Lee-on-Solent, Odiham and the Elson area”
  • Closed Odiham Library to re-open as independent community library – In Your Area.
  • North Hampshire library receives cash to go independent – Planet Radio. “Odiham is one of eight Hampshire libraries axed by Hampshire County Council as part of budget savings.”
  • Winter Reading Challenge – Love Andover.
• Inverclyde – Libraries urge customers to make use of delivery service in lockdown – Greenock Telegraph. Click and collect suspended. Home library service.
• Kirklees – Dewsbury librarian surprised with BEM in Queen’s New Year Honours – Dewsbury Reporter. “He is currently the Customer Service Manager at Dewsbury Library and is also the Co-Chair of the Public and Mobile Libraries Group with national library body CILIP.”
• Leeds – Otley and Yeadon residents urged to speak out against cuts to services – Wharfedale Observer. “Leeds City Council is proposing to cut opening hours at libraries and community hubs in the two towns and will also reduce floral planting. The suggested cuts are being put forward as part of the council’s 2021/22 budget savings proposals as it faces a shortfall of £119 million.”
• Lewisham – Lewisham libraries could be cut by £500K – News Shopper. £300k to £500k will be cut. Hiring freeze.
  • Lewisham libraries could offer more services after remodel – News Shopper. “It’s hoped a new model could provide several non-traditional services in libraries, such as legal advice, advice on benefits and taxes, and help with IT skills.  “
  • Community Hub & Library Opening Hours – Leeds Council. £1.5m cut. Staff cuts. Reduce opening hours.
• Shropshire – Shropshire Council bringing cultural sites online as facilities are closed – Border Counties Advertizer. Click and collect.
• Somerset – Burnham-On-Sea Library users reassured over overdue book loans during lockdown – Burnham on Sea. Click and collect, PCs.
• Stoke – Readers rejoice! Stoke-on-Trent libraries offering mystery book bundles during lockdown – Stoke on Trent Live. Click and collect.
• Thurrock – Staff who cannot work from home being urged to get Covid test – Thurrock Gazette. “Thurrock Council is urging all those who are still attending a workplace to get a free COVID-19 test as soon as possible, even if they do not have any symptoms. Testing kits are available at East Tilbury library, Chadwell library and Belhus library. ” … “East Tilbury, Chadwell and Belhus libraries will be open to pick up and drop off tests from 8am to 7pm on weekdays and 9am to 4pm at weekends. These libraries will only be open for this purpose and no library services will be available, such as the return of books or use of computers.”

• Wandsworth – Wandsworth residents amongst London’s biggest bookworms – Wandsworth Times. “the borough’s libraries issued the highest number of books in London for the third year running.” … “To reflect the importance and value of reading services, the Council has pledged to improve libraries in Battersea, Earlsfield, Tooting and York Gardens.”
• West Berkshire – New plans for West Berkshire libraries over lockdown – Newbury Today. Click and collect and home library service.
• Wiltshire – Warminster Library closes today due to Covid – Gazette and Herald. “Following public health guidance the library will close pending a deep clean after a staff member tested positive for Covid-19.”
• Worcestershire – Worcestershire’s favourite books of 2020 revealed – The Shuttle.