Two points on two different timelines
Editorial
Two councils this week demonstrates, at different stages of the process, what can happen when a council tries to close libraries that have strong public support. In Essex, sustained and well-organised protests lasted long-term, eventually not only leading to a u-turn promise that no libraries would be closed but also, this week, the announcement of £2.4m of various funds for the service. Nottingham Council is still trying to close some of their libraries but with some of their own councillors coming out against the move, billboards being put up in protest and local authors banding together. It would be great to think that the Nottingham story will end as relatively happily as the Essex one but of course each council does things differently. We’ll only find out when we find out. Elsewhere, there’s a couple of stories showing the strength of Ukrainians and some Arts Council England funding to boost volunteering in a couple of services.

Changes by local authority
- Essex – £2.4m for new training, literacy and other initiatives.
- Hertfordshire – £185k for youth volunteering.

National news
- Awareness Week resource pack for libraries – Hospice UK. “This year for the first time we are proud to have worked with Libraries Connected to produce a special resource pack for libraries, to help them get involved with Dying Matters Awareness Week.”
- CILIP Library and Information Supplier Showcase – Spring 2022 – CILIP. 12 May, London. “This one-day event gives you the opportunity to meet a number of suppliers under one roof, on the same day in a relaxed, non-sales environment. “
- Developing digital, media and information skills in the library workforce – Libraries Connected. Webinar, Wednesday 11 May, 13.00 to 14.30.
- Libraries Activity Data – Libraries Connected. Webinar, Thursday 21 April, 13 to 14.00. “Join us for a discussion on what the data shows, what it means and provide your own insight from the library services to make our analysis a much richer picture.”
- New internet laws return to Parliament for second reading this week – Gov.uk/DCMS. “Funding boost will help people’s critical thinking online through a new expert Media Literacy Taskforce alongside proposals to pay for training for teachers and library workers”
“In order to provide Ukrainians with a range of free reading, listening, learning and entertainment opportunities, multimedia content provider Odilo launched a free app for both Android and iOS in early April. Available across Europe, the app includes 3000 e-books and audiobooks in a variety of genres, including 1,700 Ukrainian titles and 500 in English. There is material for both children and adults. Kraal: ‘We hope that everyone – from social workers to host families – will draw the attention of the refugees to this app. To offer them the support, pleasure or comfort of reading, learning and listening in these difficult and uncertain times.” Links to the app: Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=es.odilo.ukraine iOS: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/ukraine-unlimited-learning/id1615037168“
- New Voices, Big Ideas – apply to speak – CILIP. “This year, we want to hear from people who have never spoken at a conference before, but have big ideas that they would like to share at the session “New Voices, Big Ideas”. CILIP is looking for 6 speakers to each give a lightning talk around the theme of “What is Sustainability?”
- Scottish libraries ‘lost out on more than £250m’ in last decade, new Labour analysis shows – Morning Star. “The party cited figures from the Improvement Service’s local government benchmarking framework, which showed that by 2020-21, real-terms cumulative cuts to the net expenditure on libraries had hit £257,125,000.”
International news
- Ireland – €20m grant funding announced for school libraries – Independent.ie. “Public libraries already provide a range of supports for school under the Public Library Supports for Schools jointly agreed by the Department of Education and the Department of Rural and Community Development. Public libraries will also support the roll-out of the School Library Book Grant through the provision of additional measures and resources, in two steps.”
- Spain – Barcelona honours Gabriel García Márquez with new library – Guardian. “In the digital age, building a new library filled with old-fashioned printed books seems idealistic, almost quixotic. Not so in Barcelona. The city council is about to open a new €12m (£10m) library next month, the latest instalment in a programme that dates back 20 years.”
- Ukraine – Libraries around the world are helping safeguard Ukrainian books and culture – Conversation. “Just as libraries have collected, preserved and shared knowledge held by their own institutions over the past century, they are now sharing this knowledge globally so that when the war is over, Ukraine can see its cultural treasures rescued and restored.”
- USA – The 2022 Peeps Diorama Contest – Library Arts Center. “Make an original shoebox-sized diorama with the iconic Easter candies—PEEPS!—as the main characters. Community members of all ages, businesses, school classrooms, groups & organizations are all encouraged to enter. Take cues from current events, pop culture, or clever “peeps” puns …”
- 14 Stories About Working in a Library That Will Make You Laugh Out Loud – Medium / EveryLibrary. “One staff member recalls when a patron arrived at the library, looked around, appeared lost, then asked the employee where the library was.”
- KY lawmakers killed bill to hand libraries over to politicians. Then they revived it – Kentucky.com. “Gov. Andy Beshear vetoed Senate Bill 167 on April 8, saying it would politicize libraries by letting elected county leaders appoint whomever they want to library boards and block major library spending. In most of Kentucky’s 120 counties, libraries have been largely self-governed and self-financed tax districts, created by citizen petition.”
Local news by authority
- Cheshire West and Chester – Ellesmere Port Library to celebrate 60th year in May – Standard. Coffee morning, murder mystery, staff reunion.
- Cheshire West Libraries to distribute new book at foodbanks – Standard. 500 copies of “The Swimmer” By Graham Norton. “The books will be handed out at 16 Cheshire West food banks and Cheshire Food Hub, as part of the Reading Agency’s World Book Night, on Saturday 23 April.”
- Croydon – Easter is off to a hopping start – News Anyway. Storytime, crafts and Keralan culture.
- Essex – Essex County Council £2.4million plan for libraries – Echo. “Essex County Council now proposes to spend £400,000 on six fixed-term posts of 18 months to develop the plan by training its existing workforce and recruiting new talent towards its literacy ambitions, community engagement and outreach, and delivering planning and implementation. Another £400,000 is being spent on refurbishment and creating dedicated Everyone’s Literacy areas in all 74 libraries to improve literacy skills in adults and children. Another £1.6m is to be spent on the delivery of other initiatives identified by the delivery planning and implementation lead who will have responsibility for turning the ambitions and proposals in the strategy into benefits for each area of the county.”
- Hertfordshire – Hertfordshire’s libraries to improve youth volunteering with £185,000 funding – Hemel Today. “As part of the Volunteering Futures programmed by Arts Council England, the money secured by Hertfordshire County Council will be used to fund ‘My Voice’, a project aimed at increasing and improving volunteering opportunities for 16 to 24-year-olds. A ‘Youth Voice’ board of young people is due to be created, which will be a space for members to share their views and input that will help to shape the future of the county’s libraries.”
- Inverclyde – Storyteller confirmed for Scotland’s Stories event – Inverclyde Council. “The storytelling event is part of the Scotland’s Stories: Community Campfires Residency with Inverclyde Libraries and is supported by EventScotland as part of the Year of Stories 2022.”
- North Lanarkshire – Eager writers invited to take part in North Lanarkshire wide poetry competition – Daily Record. “Entrants will have the chance to be included in a special e-book being published for National Poetry Day. The collection will be released on October 6 and will celebrate the power and diversity of local history, and capture for future generations a taste of North Lanarkshire’s storytelling culture.”
- Nottingham – Another Labour councillor revolts against her own party’s proposals to close much-loved library – Notts TV. “Cllr Anne Peach (Lab), who has represented the Radford area since 2013, is the latest councillor to call on the council’s leadership to drop proposals to axe Radford/Lenton Library. Cllr Hassan Ahmed (Lab), who has represented the ward since 2018, has also made his feelings known and believes the closure will rip out “the heart and soul of the local community.””
- Billboard goes up in Nottingham as city council proposes closure of 3 libraries – Nottingham Post. “A campaign group, Save Nottingham Libraries, says it costs £450 for one electronic billboard and around £800 for two. Through a crowdfunder the group managed to purchase one which has gone up in Nottingham Road.” … “The Five Leaves Bookshop, in Long Row, also says a number of the city’s writers have backed the campaign to save the libraries from closure. It said copies of a book they have contributed to, arguing their case, have been sent to councillors. The independent store says: “Free, from the bookshop, Words for Our Libraries: Nottingham writers against library closures, with contributions by Henry Normal poet, Susan Finlay, Vic Blake, Manjit Sahota, Ronne Randall, Ayana Sen-Handley, Andrew Thacker, Neil Fulwood, Chris Towers, Sian Steans, Chris Cook and the original letter signed by well over 100 local writers protesting against planned closures of three libraries.”
- Labour councillor against his own council’s proposals to close a much-loved library in one of the poorest parts of Nottingham – Notts TV.
- Oldham – Children out in gardens as part of Oldham Libraries event – Oldham Times. “As part of Errol’s Garden Story Walks, children went around the gardens, collecting and logging plants. The event was organised by Crompton Library as it looked to get children and families to become part of the community garden. Oldham Theatre Workshop also helped put some entertainment on for the youngsters.”
- Portsmouth – Boost to make volunteering more accessible – Portsmouth Council. £130k from ACE.
- Powys – Winter of Wellbeing success for Powys libraries – Powys County Times. “More than 6,500 children and young people in Powys participated in a series of library events as part of the Winter of Wellbeing programme, the county council has said. Throughout March, the Powys Library Service hosted a range of activities, including storytelling, workshops and sports, and arranged virtual ‘meet the author’ sessions for schools across the county.”
- Rhondda Cynon Taff – Redesigning Pontypridd Library – Princh. “Rhondda Cynon Taf Library is a truly flexible community space – open plan and welcoming to encourage everyone to come into the building to explore what is on offer.”
- Sandwell – Libraries to extend opening hours across Sandwell from cash boost – Birmingham Live. £495k Staffless Libraries technology due to Libraries Improvement Funding.
- West Sussex – Big name authors offering talks in Worthing and Crawley libraries – Sussex World. ““These two events have been inspired by the BBC’s Novels That Shaped Our World campaign, which West Sussex County Council Libraries participated in last year”
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