Disturbingly normal

Editorial

As I write this, it’s the day before we find out what is happening with possible (or not) reopening after the third lockdown. Let us hope the vaccines mean that this is the last one we are in. This weird shut world is starting to feel disturbingly normal.

World Book Day looks interesting, as does the Future of Libraries webinar. There are some of the normal various interesting things and outright weirdness from the USA and a few initiatives from around our country, including a nice series of events from the ever-positive and busy Manchester library service.

National news

• CILIPS Annual Conference 2021 – CILIPS. “Our 2021 President, Cleo Jones, will host two days of keynotes, workshops, and talks online on June 7-8th on the theme of Reinvigorate and Renew: Emerging into a better, brighter, new world.”
• The Future of Libraries – Aspen UK. 24 February 5pm webinar.
• John Scally interview: ‘Libraries have to be for everyone’ – The Times. “The outgoing chief executive of the National Library of Scotland had to tear up the rule books”. Partial paywall, ironically.
• Vintage launches Free Books Campaign partnership – BookSeller. “Vintage has launched a new partnership with the Free Books Campaign, a charity set up by education activist Sofia Akel to get books by authors of colour to those who cannot access them. Under the partnership, Vintage will donate 300 books to the Free Books Campaign annually. Twenty-five copies of 12 titles will be delivered over 2021”
• Welsh Libraries Reaching Out Into the Virtual World – News from Wales.”“This grant of £169,950 has enabled us to appoint Kerry Pillai from Swansea Libraries as coordinator to organize, plan and deliver a range of training packages for library staff members across Wales. This will be technical training in the use of basic equipment and software apps for creating and delivering digital content, but also activities for staff to experiment and practice their skills – such as author talks, conversations between readers, reading group discussions, and illustration workshops.  The Estyn Allan project will also enable authorities to invest in basic hardware and software they need to produce good quality activities and content.””
• World Book Day’s New Strategy Receives Major Boost From Arts Council Funding And New Partnerships, As Charity Announces First Ever Official World Book Day Song – FMCM. “The charity also announces its first ever official song by MC Grammar.” … “A partnership with Oak National Academy and the National Literacy Trust: HRH The Duchess of Cornwall will lead a day of special events for the online classroom” … “A World Book Day themed Live Lesson broadcast live on CBBC:” … “A partnership with Twitter: will help the charity reach more families directly online in lockdown. An official #WorldBookDay emoji will be launched to mark the annual celebration.” … “An extended partnership with McDonald’s: will see the food company include World Book Day’s £1 token in all its Happy Meal Boxes from 3 March to 13 April”

International news

• EU – Seminar Replay – Eurolis. “All 3 sessions of this year’s webinar series ‘How can Libraries play a Positive Role in a Crisis’ have been recorded and are available online.”
• USA – White Lady Discouraged From Humiliating Herself With ‘Library Rap’ Cries Reverse Racism – Wonkette. “public libraries are continually recalibrating and reinventing services, plans, and procedures to keep up with a roiling landscape”
  • Buy One, Give One- Inspiring Library Stories – Hinchas Press. “Buy one, give one is a campaign to put ‘Inspiring Library Stories: Tales of Kindness, Connection, and Community Impact’ in the hands of every Congressperson in the next session of Congress.  When you purchase this bundle, we will mail you a paperback copy of Inspiring Library Stories and give one to a Congressperson.”
  • Chattanooga Fires Library Activist Who Allegedly Burned Books Written by President Donald Trump, Ann Coulter – TN Star. “Officials said part-time library specialist Cameron Dequintez Williams took the books and burned them in December, WDEF reported last week. Williams led several protests last year in Chattanooga and was charged with blocking streets.”
  • Where Are We: The Latest on Library Reopening Strategies – Library Journal. “public libraries are continually recalibrating and reinventing services, plans, and procedures to keep up with a roiling landscape”

Local news by authority

• Aberdeen – Aberdeen libraries’ interactive online videos viewed over 31,500 times during coronavirus pandemic – Press and Journal.
• Bristol – The Little Libraries of Bristol – Epigram. “Groups of library campaigners were alerted to Olivia’s use of the term ‘library’ to describe her book-swap, claiming it was problematic and counter-productive to raising awareness for local libraries which currently face government funding cuts. However, Olivia clarified that ‘they’ll never replace public libraries – never – and that’s not the intention. They are an addition rather than a replacement’”
• Denbighshire – Dementia ‘memory bags’ including books, poems and artefacts available at Denbighshire libraries – Journal. “offering a new collection of memory bags which contain a collection of books, poems, artefacts and smells designed to stimulate the senses and promote reminiscence and discussion.”
• Devon – Books, reading, community and connection for new parents and carers in Devon – In your area. “The charity, which runs Devon and Torbay’s library services, is launching the Reading Friends initiative under the Reading Agency ‘Read Talk Share’ 2021 campaign umbrella. The Reading Agency wants to promote the use of books and reading to help mental health.”
  • Share your memories of Budleigh Library – Exmouth Journal. “The memories will be collated into a book which will then be sold to raise funds for Libraries Unlimited – the charity which manages libraries across the county.”
• Essex – Historic Maldon library granted over £60,000 by Historic England – In your area. “one of the oldest public libraries in England”.
  • Essex County Council and SOLE Zoom meeting on Debden library – Epping Forest Guardian. “Cllr Sue Barker, cabinet member responsible for libraries, will be meeting online with representatives of Save Our Libraries Essex (SOLE) in a Zoom meeting on Monday, February 22. She will be joined by bosses of New City College – bidding to become the first takeover of an Essex library at Debden.”
• Fife – £40,000 funding boost announced for Fife libraries – Fife Today. “The money came from a Scotland-wide pot administered by the Scottish Library and Information Council (SLIC). Fife scooped £41,800 to help staff understand how users engage with their local libraries which were forced to close their doors at the start of the pandemic.”
• Kent – Uncertain future for libraries after no guarantee given by KCC that all of them will reopen once Covid lockdown restrictions are eased – Kent Online. ” “I can’t guarantee that 99 libraries are going to reopen in three months time. When the time is right we will start reopening as and when we can.””

• Moray – Order and collect service rolled out to more Moray libraries – Northern Scot. “In addition to the recent set up of an order and collect service at Burghead library, Dufftown library is ready to offer a similar operation from this Thursday and Cullen library will be starting the service from Thursday”
• North Somerset – Reading Friends programme for North Somerset – Chew Valley Gazette.
• Peterborough – Peterborough libraries expand select and collect service – Peterborough Telegraph. “Orton, Bretton, Werrington and Dogsthorpe Libraries will now join Central Library in offering this service.”
• Sheffield – Sheffield Libraries and Poet in the City bring a rich menu of poetry, language, film and local stories – Yorkshire Post. “Produced by Poet in the City, one of the UK’s leading poetry organisations, and in partnership with the British Library, Digesting History takes place next week.”
• Stoke on Trent – Everything you need to know about February half term activities by Stoke-on-Trent museums and libraries – Stoke Sentinel.
• Tower Hamlets – MP calls for halt to cuts threatening Tower Hamlets libraries – East London Advertiser. “A motion is being tabled in the Commons on Wednesday, February 17, by Poplar and Limehouse MP Apsana Begum. ” … ““Libraries face their greatest crisis since the Second World War,” she said in a statement to the East London Advertiser. “People on low-income suffer the brunt with children from deprived backgrounds losing desperately-needed support outside the classroom.” The MP has lodged a Commons motion demanding that libraries are protected from cuts in the post-pandemic period, a move backed by shadow chancellor John McDonnell. “
• Windsor and Maidenhead – Maidenhead councillors vow to save Boyn Grove library from closure – Royal Borough Observer. “Boyn Hill councillor Stuart Carroll (Con), lead member for social care and public health, said he and his colleague Cllr Gurpreet Bhangra (Con) disagree with the proposed closure and will leave ‘no stone unturned’ in finding ways to save the library.”