The joy of work

Editorial

There is a joy to working in public libraries. I get a real up when I see a child jumping up and down in excitement because they’d found a book I remember ordering a month ago. Or when someone takes a book or two off a display that I put together. Or, the best of all, when someone thanks you or walks away obviously happy after I have answered their questions. Another satisfying thing is weeding a section of shelves because so much of my work is now on the computer, it’s great when an obvious physical difference is made. Planning and organising an event that gets sold out is pretty good too. Or planning for 13 months (yes, more than one year) for the Summer Reading Challenge and making sure lessons are learnt and there’s every chance it’ll be better for everyone than the year before. There is a real value to this which helps make up for other things which is just as well – in the words of Phil Bradley, no-one comes into this job for the money and the power.

National news

• Green light given for huge British Library extension – Guardian. “£500m scheme will build new galleries, a learning centre, green spaces and a home for the Alan Turing Institute of data science”

To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of the closing of the Libraries Taskforce in March 2020 on strategic planning for libraries.

Barbara Keeley Shadow Minister (Cabinet Office)

In September 2022, the Government appointed Baroness Sanderson of Welton as chairman of a new advisory panel to help develop a new strategy to make sure that public libraries are providing the best possible service for their communities. More detail can be found here. To date she has had numerous meetings with organisations with an interest in public libraries work, and has led two roundtable sessions …

Stuart Andrew Under Secretary DCMS

• Library projects to receive share of £200k Scottish Government funding – Yahoo News. Public Library Improvement Fund (PLIF) : “including an additional support needs training programme in Aberdeen and the creation of ‘Live Well Health’ information hubs across Glasgow. Other initiatives awarded grants aim to combat social isolation, bridge the digital divide, help close the attainment gap and mitigate the impact of the cost-of-living crisis.”

Based on this dataset, DCMS estimates that around 230 libraries have permanently closed in the period 1 April 2010 to 31 December 2021 and not been relocated or replaced.

Stuart Andrew, Under Secretary DCMS

Changes by local authority

• Cheshire East – May reduce opening hours, co-locate.
• Manchester – 1000 book children’s library opens in Hulme.
• Moray – Fines-free

International news

• Netherlands – Innovations in Libraries: Impressions of a Study Trip to the Netherlands – ZBW Mediatalk. ” In the Netherlands, for example, it is taken for granted that they offer consultation hours for advice on e-government. The self-image as a Third Place is also already omnipresent there. Public libraries are perceived as the living rooms of cities and are used accordingly.” … ” Everyone can get involved on a voluntary basis. Events are often organised at request of visitors. This way, the librarians know that there is a real need for a topic and what their target groups are interested in.”

Local news by authority

• Bath and North East Somerset – Free internet access for all with new ‘Hublets’ at Midsomer Norton Library – Journal Gazette. “Thirty self-service tablets which are free to use with a library membership card have been installed at Bath & North East Somerset Council’s three main libraries.” for “free internet browsing, access to e-books, newspapers and magazines and other library apps.”
• Bedford – Children’s Laureate, Joseph Coelho, will visit Kempston Library – Bedford Council. “At his appointment Joseph shared his personal mission to join one library in every authority across the UK.” 70 left to visit.

• Cheshire East – Cheshire East to consider reducing library opening hours – Northwich and Winsford Guardian. “The council says it is not proposing any library closures but it is looking at reducing opening hours during the week and on Saturdays. A review of the mobile library service and funding for the purchase of new books and newspapers will also take place.”
• Cheshire West and Chester – Not just books… you can now borrow an iPad from your local library – So Counties. “provide devices for residents to borrow for a six-week period from any Cheshire West and Chester Council library. All people will need is a library card and a form of ID.”
• Essex – Colchester Library protests over Drag Storytime – Gazette Standard. “… it has been alleged protestors are planning to attend the event, in order to boycott it. In response members of the LGTBQ+ community and allies intend to stage a peaceful counter-protest. Colchester Pride has issued a statement on social media.”
• Inverclyde – More than 10,000 books overdue at Inverclyde libraries – Greenock Telegraph. “The new data shows the average number of items not returned to the area’s book depositories each year since 2007 was 685.” … “More books were taken out in 2022 than were taken out pre-pandemic in 2019, but fewer audiobooks and DVDs were issued.”

• Lancashire – Lancashire’s library network awarded Libraries of Sanctuary status – Lancashire Council. “We have reached out to those seeking sanctuary in our communities to use and visit our libraries, inviting them to activity sessions and hosting library tours. We have also shared our learning and raised awareness with other organisations and those within our communities. There is a set of minimum assessment criteria which all applicants are expected to achieve, as well as a thorough assessment by a panel before the Libraries of Sanctuary Award is granted.”
• Leeds – All hands on deck as library’s epic naval battle unfolds – Leeds Council. “Rhian Isaac, senior librarian at Leeds Central Library, who is currently researching the library’s Gascoigne Collection, said: “There’s an astonishing amount of detail included in this document …”
• Manchester – Manchester’s smallest and most diverse library vows to put a library card in every child’s hand – I Love Manchester. “A new dedicated Children’s Library has opened at Z-arts in Hulme – and the team have pledged to put a library card into the hands of every child in the area” … “At just 362 sq ft it is a pocket–sized affair, but crammed into the cosy first floor room are over 1,000 hand–selected books, some of which are not available to borrow anywhere else in the city.”
• Midlothian – Midlothian plan to cut teachers, libraries and music lessons sparks protest – Edinburgh Live.

• Newport – Newport foodbank to launch book library to tackle literacy poverty – South Wales Argus. “Feed Newport has partnered with the National Literacy Trust to tackle literacy poverty in the area by providing a free lending service to people in the community from February 1.” … “The service will run similar to local libraries. Members of the community are able to borrow a book for up to a month, before either renewing it or returning it.”
• North Ayrshire – Council strike chord with new guitar initiative – North Ayrshire Council. “musical instruments in public libraries across Scotland which can be borrowed by members of the public free of charge. Further to the success of this initiative in The Harbour Arts Centre, Kilbirnie Library and Kilwinning Library, this initiative is being extended”
• Powys – Powys Library Service is asking residents to ‘Dip into Reading’ and reap the wellbeing benefits this winter – Powys Council. ” libraries across Wales will be involved in the public information campaign ‘Dip into Reading’ which aims to promote small amounts of reading each week to support people’s mental health and wellbeing.”

• Redbridge – Step into a story at Redbridge Libraries for National Storytelling Week – Redbridge Council. “Redbridge is also a founding member of the Libraries Consortium spanning 23 councils across London, Luton, Essex and Surrey, enabling Redbridge residents to take advantage of a further 8 million books and other items, and access to services and facilities from over 380 libraries across London and the south east.”

• Suffolk – Book now for our big Online Book Festival – Suffolk Libraries. “The festival features online interviews with a number of top authors including Elly Griffiths, Jill Mansell, Sarah Pearse and more. The festival takes place between 6 and 12 March with a different author interviewed every day.”
• Suffolk Libraries welcomes John Grose as first Paws-itivity sponsor – Suffolk Libraries. Motor dealer signs up.  “Suffolk Libraries biggest ever fundraising campaign which will see colourful dog sculptures in all of the county’s libraries this summer. The ‘Library Labradors’ will all feature designs individually created by local artists.”
• Wirral – Cheers at council meeting as Wirral golf course is offered a lifeline – Standard. “Councillors also agreed to allow Pensby and Prenton libraries to be transferred into community hands while Higher Bebington, Wallasey Village, and Irby libraries moved to final negotiations of community transfer before coming back to committee.” … “Recommendations for Hoylake Library to be sold off or rented out as well as Higher Bebington library and Woodchurch Library now being used for educational purposes have been recommended to Policy and Resources”
  • ‘Hope’ Bromborough Civic Centre could reopen after takeover bid – Wirral Globe. “There is now a proposal that could allow NEO Community, based in Rock Ferry, to submit a business plan to the council and develop it over eight weeks. This is the second stage of the community asset transfer process.”