Scottish independence and public libraries

Editorial

The local elections have shown a couple of things. The first is that the Conservatives are likely to win the next election, leading to the possibility of another decade of policies likely to minimise funding for local government, and thus library spending. The other is, as pointed out in coverage of Glasgow last week, how different things are Scotland. Libraries up there are in a different environment – although it may not feel like it in Glasgow – and may look forward, if independence happens, to funding on another level to that south of the border. However, if Scotland does go its own way then that’s a whole bunch of anti-Conservative MPs disappearing from the English parliament … and then heaven knows when the governing party will change down here.

National news

• Creating Impactful Engagement through Interactive Exhibitions; a Perspective from the National Archives for library professionals – British Library Living Knowledge Network. Thursday, May 13, 11am. “With plenty of tips for inspiring your own creative outreach projects, this webinar aims to inspire a new approach to your online engagement projects through a case study of the recent National Archives exhibition Letters of Love, Loss and Longing.”
• Ebooks: Scandal or Market Economics webinar – summary and links – UCL. ” The audience shared their own experiences of troubles caused by ebooks, with issues such as only half of the books in a key series being available in an ebook format, multiple examples of academics needing to rewrite module reading lists either to use books that the library already had or give several options for librarians to try locate since many were not easily available. In one instance an academic was told that she couldn’t use her own book in a course because it wasn’t available to buy as an ebook”
• Expert bank: Developing a communications and engagement plan – Libraries Connected.

• F**k I Think I’m Dying: Claire Eastham on Learning to Live with Panic – Reading Agency. Tuesday 11 May, 7pm. Mental Health Awareness week free event.
• International Booker Prize – Reading Agency. “Free digital packs are available to download from The Reading Agency Shop to promote the International Booker Prize and the Women’s Prize for Fiction in your library. The packs contain promotion guides with ready-to-use social media schedules and copy, as well as assets and links to reading group guides”
• Morrisons is giving away 50,000 FREE books to families – how to get one – The Sun. “The book is called “Cedric the Seed” and it will be distributed nationwide to local community groups and schools.” … “Morrisons has also launched a book donation and exchange station called the little library where children, teenagers and parents can take home any of the books available for free.”
• Opportunity for refugees and asylum seekers to contribute to research on UK public library services – Hazel Hall. “Do you know or work with adult refugees and/or asylum seekers who have lived in the UK for 5 years or fewer? If so, please could you let them know about this opportunity to contribute to an on-going research project within the Centre for Social Informatics by completing a short online questionnaire”
• Public Library Resilience: Innovations from the COVID Crisis – III. Thursday 20 May, 6am (3pm AEST), free webinar. “The health crisis has brought challenges and opportunities for public libraries. Even while buildings have been closed, libraries worked with determination and innovation to bring their services to users in new ways, reaching 3 out of 10 people (Carnegie UK Trust research). Innovative Interfaces has brought together two well-known thought leaders to discuss lessons from the past year, and opportunities for public libraries, in what promises to be a stimulating debate full of insights and ideas.”. [Including myself very early in the morning, and Roger Henshaw; Public Library Australia – Ed.]
• The role of fines in the libraries of today – CILIP. Survey. “Abolishing library fines is something we have seen more public libraries adopt both here in the UK and abroad but it is something that some cash strapped public libraries are not so keen to follow. Public Libraries News have done a round up of some of the key pros and cons and recent initiatives but we want to hear your opinion on the matter.”
• S4 Ep11 Arts Council England – Leading with James Ashton. Interview with Darren Henley. Says of libraries that ““love, cherish and continue to reinvent them”

International news

• Australia – Leading Public Libraries for the new normal – Jane Cowell. “Library Managers across the world have been leading their service through a crisis.For my library service, with various branches in a number of different locations, staff with varying levels of technical skills, and a situation that was changing fast — sometimes multiple times a day — there were some key leadership priorities that enabled our library service to remain viable.”
• Global – The most popular comics checked out from libraries worldwide – for kids and adults – Games Radar. “In the past 12 months, comics books and graphic novels were checked out over 15 million times from public libraries.”
• New Zealand – Reimagining a new Nelson library as an ideas factory – Stuff. “What has dominated news coverage and clamour are two reasons some people object to a new library: The price. The location. We have been focused on problems, not opportunities.” … “clever thinking about what a library could be would make it a hub of our 10 innovative economies, and the centrepoint of a knowledge industry ecosystem for the community, and our overall economy. It would foster other supporting elements of an innovation economy to grow up around it.”
• USA – Report Urges Library Leaders to Address Decline in Public Library Usage Stats – Publishers Weekly. “In a report published this week, veteran London-based bookseller, library advocate, and former Waterstones managing director Tim Coates warns that U.S. public library usage statistics show a steep decline—and he suggests that library leaders must do more to address the trend.”
  • 2021 Library Systems Report – American Libraries. Big changes due to Covid.

Local news by authority

• Argyll – liveArgyll’s leisure facilities and libraries open up again– Oban Times. Limited browsing.
• Bridgend – Awen Libraries Launches Virtual Tour – Awen Libraries. “Available to access from the new Awen Libraries website – www.awen-libraries.com – the virtual tour will allow users to travel through each of the library spaces by touching the screen of their digital device or the arrow keys on their computer keyboard.”
• Bury – Prestwich and Bury libraries to reopen for browsing – Bury Times. ” can visit between the hours of 1pm and 4pm, Tuesdays to Fridays.”
• Calderdale – New scheme to share the joy of reading with Calderdale residents – Halifax Courier. Reading Friends.
• Cheshire West and Chester – More Cheshire libraries to reopen as 8,000 visit current facilities in just one week – Northwich Guardian. “The libraries will be operating on temporary hours for browsing and public computer access.”
• Cumbria – Cumbria Libraries are looking for youth volunteers for their Summer Reading Challenge – Mail. “Young volunteers aged 13 to 24 are being asked to apply to help run the event, and full training will be provided.”
• Devon/Torbay – Zoom socials, craft, cooking, films and singing welcome those with dementia and carers – In Your Area. “Good Neighbours library membership to allow nominated friends or family to choose and return books for those unable to.” and “The Tovertafel – interactive games, sounds, lights and images projected onto a table at South Molton and Tavistock Libraries (available once they open)” and others.
• East Lothian – Chance to dedicate a book to a baby born during lockdown – East Lothian Courier. “Local libraries are hoping to see their Bookbug sessions – storytelling with parents and children aged up to five – return in Bookbug Week in mid-May.”
• Eilean Siar – Libraries open for browsing – Oban Times.
• Essex – Colchester Essex County Council candidates respond on future of libraries – Gazette News. “The campaign group asked each Colchester candidate for Tory-run County Hall whether they would vote to keep all libraries in Essex open, with paid and trained staff, and oppose community-run facilities. Collective responses were received from the Green candidates who promised they would and called for space lost at Colchester Library to make room for council offices to be reversed.”
• Hertfordshire – Coming to a library near you – Hertfordshire Council. “Each child visiting a Hertfordshire library from Thursday 13 May will be gifted a brightly coloured ‘Growing into Reading’ giant bookmark and a ‘throw and go’ wildflower seed bomb to take home (whilst stocks last). At their next visit to a library, children can get their special bookmark stamped to help cultivate a love of reading and to make library visits a regular activity.”
• Isle of Wight – World Book Night: Feel-good short stories handed out on Isle of Wight – Isle of Wight Radio. “The service gave out 160 copies of ‘Stories to Make You Smile’ — described as “a seriously entertaining collection of feelgood stories guaranteed to put the smile back on your face” — as part of the annual World Book Night celebration.”
• Lancashire – Chorley Library is to close for about two weeks for essential maintenance – Chorley Guardian. “The library will be closed to the public from Monday, May 10 while work takes place to the building’s heating and electricity systems.”
• Leeds – Loving Leeds Libraries during lockdown – South Leeds Life. “n October 2019, Leeds Libraries went fine-free, including forgiving old fines. Thank goodness, as using the library has been a huge help to me during the lockdowns. It has also helped me in my efforts to stop using that huge online shop as much as I was (difficult when all essential shops were closed). Now, when I hear, see, read, am told about a great book instead of clicking the “Buy It Now” button, I search for the book on the Leeds Libraries app”
• Middlesbrough – Think you know Middlesbrough? Have a go at quirky quiz that will put your grey matter to the test – Gazette Live. Local History Month. “Middlesbrough Libraries is running a clever quiz based on a book in its archives called ‘Middlesbrough Folk – Can You Answer This?’ originally published in 1929. ‘A booklet of questions and answers of local interest’ it says and Middlesbrough Central Library’s Paul Blades has picked out some teasers which show how busy the town and its townsfolk were almost a century ago.”
• North Yorkshire – Libraries go back to nature for Mental Health Awareness Week – North Yorkshire County Council. Includes an online talk, displays, quiz. “If you borrow a book from Selby library during the week, you will receive a bean and growing instructions and will be invited to share your pictures as your beanstalks grow. At Northallerton library you can pick up a sunflower seed and take the challenge to grow the tallest sunflower.”
  • Libraries offer more support for people doing British citizenship test – Northern Echo. “Go Citizen, an online study resource for candidates preparing for either of the tests.”
  • North Yorkshire libraries offer help to learner drivers – Richmondshire Today. “Officials say Theory Test Pro is a highly realistic online simulation of the UK’s driving theory test.”
• Oxfordshire – All the places you can recycle small electricals in Oxfordshire – Oxford Mail. “Oxfordshire County Council has restarted the scheme, which was suspended while libraries were operating a click-and-collect service only.”
• Pembrokeshire – Libraries reopening across Pembrokeshire for browsing on Monday – Western Telegraph. Browsing.
• Sheffield – Four libraries in Sheffield to reopen next week – this is what you need to know – The Star. “beginning Monday, May 10, when Central, Crystal Peaks, Ecclesall and Hillsborough libraries will reopen for people to browse and select their own books.”
• Suffolk – Free Speech – A Suffolk Libraries’ Podcast – Journeys to Recovery (Ep. 34) – Suffolk Libraries. “celebrates public libraries’ history as spaces for free learning and freedom of speech.”
• Swindon – More Swindon library services returning on May 17 – Swindon Advertiser. “Libraries run by Swindon Borough Council are now open again for limited services – but more facilities will be open come when lockdown eases further in the middle of the month”
• Vale of Glamorgan – Penarth library reopens after refurbishment – Penarth Times. “Funded jointly by the Vale of Glamorgan Council and Welsh Government, the redecorated ground floor includes new furniture, enquiry desk, carpet and shelving. “. Come children’s stock moved to another location “so that the regular programme of children’s activities, including Rhyme & Sign and Story Times, can take place in a larger space this summer.”
• Worcestershire – Tenbury library taking on support role for the lonely and isolated in community – Ludlow Advertiser. Reading Friends.