Archive for March, 2023

Editorial

The Government has given out £4.9 million to English public libraries in a competitive bidding process. This is to be welcomed but it’s worth pointing out that (a) this is likely to be much less than overall funding cuts to libraries this year and (b) is for stuff that library services can’t now afford normally but in any well-funded service would have been able to. Plus also it’s sometimes for additional stuff when the core service is being cut. As Libraries Hacked points out it’s a bit like “watching a house burning down and asking for money to install a bouncy castle in the garden.”. This point is demonstrated this week by Kent where the deputy council leader says that the council cannot afford to reopen Folkestone Library (where apparently 50% of the children are in poverty) because “KCC has to be realistic that in the current challenging financial climate, any spend has to be prioritised”.

I may have mentioned last week that several newspapers had reported a story that Devon was censoring stock for what can only be described “woke” reasons. I understand from contacts in Devon that this is nonsense and that “sadly some newspapers have recently inaccurately reported” their stock management policy. and that “There is not, and never has been, a decision to “remove unedited copies of certain Enid Blyton books from the shelves” and that they do not “operate a trigger warning system”. So, heaven knows what the Telegraph, Mail and Express think they were reporting on. If I didn’t know that they were all unbiased high-quality resources, I’d say it was almost as if they’re trying to stir up controversy or something. And of course this places libraries in a difficult position. They can either feed the trolls by pointing out the mis-reporting or keep quiet and leave it unchecked. And that way can lead to the ridiculous position we see in the USA where some politicians are so sure of how terrible public libraries are that they’re now advocating churches getting the funding instead.

Finally, I wish to mark the farewell of Diana Edmonds from GLL libraries. Being overall for no less than five library services and over 100 libraries, she was de facto the most senior public librarian in the country. Although, some of us may harbour some doubts about the placing of library services under leisure trusts, this did not prove detrimental to the ones she led (the “gymbraries” some of you may know were differently managed) and she used her position, where she could, to protect libraries and the role of professional librarians. I’m glad to say that she will staying in the public library sector.

Changes by local authority

• Kent – Folkestone Library likely to be closed permanently due to flood damage
• Liverpool – Spellow Library becomes co-location with business service, training, meeting rooms, council services and art gallery.

National news

• Arts, culture and libraries 2023 – Local Government Association. Peer challenges. “The LGA’s important partnership with Arts Council England enables us to provide critical support to our member councils by developing the knowledge and skills of both councillors and officers to champion cultural activity in their local areas during a period of rebuilding, where leadership is needed most.”
• Culture boost of £12.8m for West Midlands – BBC. “More than £1m from the LIF will be shared between libraries in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, Shropshire and Walsall.”
• DCMS announces further £4.9m for 27 library services – BookSeller.
• Edmonds steps down as GLL national libraries director – Bookseller. “Diana Edmonds MBE is stepping down from her role as national libraries director at the social enterprise Greenwich Leisure Limited (GLL), effective 5th April 2023 … Rebecca Gediking will step in as interim head of libraries to oversee the management and direction of more than 100 libraries in Bromley, Dudley, Lincolnshire, Wandsworth, Wales and the Royal Borough of Greenwich.”
• Enid Blyton’s racism doesn’t deserve to be in libraries. Read Terry Pratchett instead – Big Issue. “He’s not always perfect but, unlike Enid Blyton, he evolved. A mid-90s Discworld novel, Jingo, has its heart in the right place but is guilty of some fairly broad stereotypes about an Arab-like culture. You can see Pratchett pushing at the edges of the idea, but still falling into some of the traps he set his own characters. But Sir Terry’s mind never sat in one place. He soaked the world up as he moved through it, and as the world around him changed, so did he. At the heart of his work was always the idea that people were complicated. That they were never one thing”

• Government announces almost £60m in cultural funding for regions outside London – Independent. “They will share a pot of £58.8 million as part of what the Government has billed as plans to “make sure everyone, no matter where they live, can access the UK’s world-renowned culture”.”
• Green Libraries Manifesto– working together for people and planet – CILIP. “As libraries we occupy a place at the heart of the communities we serve. Through this manifesto, we want to come together towards a shared vision: to lead by example through our own environmental actions and use our power and reach to inform and inspire people to take positive action and build resilience in the diverse communities we serve. We recognise the diversity of our sector which is why this is an inclusive initiative for all libraries to help them make the changes they can, with the resources they have.”
• Libraries Connected welcomes £4.9m Libraries Improvement Fund investment – Libraries Connected. “While competitive funds can make a huge difference for recipients, without a more secure long term financial settlement many councils will have no option but to consider making cuts to frontline public services, including libraries. We need Government to take decisive action now to avoid a crisis in our libraries over the coming years.”
• Manchester libraries and Salford and Bury museums to get boost to funding – Manchester Evening News. “Under the government’s Libraries and Improvement Fund, Manchester Libraries will receive £198,872, and Oldham Council Libraries £151,520.”
• Over 70 cultural venues, museums and libraries supported with £60 million boost – Gov.uk. “£135,000 to Leicester Libraries. £124,355 to Nottingham City Council Library Service. £50,586 to Inspire Libraries (Nottinghamshire), £337,500 to Essex Libraries. £219,000 to Suffolk Libraries, £255,554 to Kingston Libraries, £231,500 to Brent Libraries, £150,000 to Croydon Libraries, £125,000 to Barnet Libraries, 73,354 to Merton Libraries, £266,066 to North Tyneside Libraries, £225,000 to Darlington Libraries, £200,000 to Hartlepool library service, £50,000 to Stockton Library Service, £275,960 to St Helens Council Library Service, £198,872 to Manchester Libraries, £260,000 to Hertfordshire Library Service, £150,031 to Hampshire Libraries, £102,000 to Portsmouth Libraries, £75,000 to Surrey Libraries, £151,520 to Oldham Council Libraries, £300,000 to Stoke on Trent Libraries, £265,000 to Staffordshire Libraries, £241,950 to Shropshire Libraries, £202,349 to Walsall Libraries, £50,000 to Barnsley Libraries”
• Uncensored Enid Blyton books with ‘outdated’ language are ‘being stashed in off-limits spaces by librarians’ – Mail. Rightwing sensationalist article aims at whipping up hatred of public library.

International news

• Global – Now available: IFLA report on the 2021 Safer Internet Day survey – IFLA. Survey on “What would help librarians create and maintain a safer online world for children and young people?”
• The fight for libraries, ‘the heart’ of democratic freedom – CBC. “Libraries have become ‘battlegrounds for other political motivations,’ says Oxford’s Richard Ovenden. “Professional introverts, walled off behind books. Stern-faced floor monitors shushing visitors. These are the tired stereotypes of his profession which U.K. librarian Richard Ovenden is determined to counter. “Anybody who’s worked in libraries knows this has almost certainly never been true, and it’s certainly not true today. The idea that we are engaged in serious matters for the sake of society needs to be shouted out.””
• New Zealand – A day in the life of a children’s librarian – The Spin Off. The varied life includes a rhymetime and a homeless person.

• USA – American Library Association reports record number of demands to censor library books and materials in 2022 – ALA. “1,269 demands to censor library books and resources in 2022, the highest number of attempted book bans since ALA began compiling data about censorship in libraries more than 20 years ago. “. Nearly double 2021. Most in school libraries, 41% in public. Most challenges are now for multiple titles so number of books challenged actually far more.
  • Library director fired for trying to relocate book reading – Wear News. “The library director, Allan Morales, suggested the event be moved to a large church due to interest. Some, including Cameron, viewed this as retaliation for the book’s biblical principles. However, emails between Morales and the publisher – obtained by The Tennessean – show that the library director showed genuine concern about the library building’s ability to handle such an event.”
  • Public Knowledge Disappointed in Decision Restricting Ability of Libraries To Lend Books – Public Knowledge. “Under this “Controlled Digital Lending” (CDL) system, only one patron can access a copy of a book at a time – just like with lending physical books. The Internet Archive argued that any additional copies made during this process should be “fair use” under copyright law.” see also Book Publishers Won’t Stop Until Libraries Are Dead – TechDirt. “We’ll get to some of the details in a moment, but we’ve joked in the past that if libraries were new today there’s no way that book publishers would let them exist. In some ways they’re a legacy holdover from before publishers had that much power. The attack on controlled digital lending (CDL) more or less proves this.”

Local news by authority

• Aberdeen – ‘Libraries are about people’: Protest held outside council headquarters in final push to save Aberdeen facilities – Press and Journal. Six libraries about to close. “More than 100 people gathered outside the council headquarters to make their voices heard as part of their ongoing efforts to save six of the city’s libraries”
• Barnsley – Barnsley Libraries awarded Arts Council England funding to give our community libraries a ‘digital boost’ – Barnsley Council. £50,000: “Increasing self-service options in our community libraries. Improving digital provision, making it easier for you to access e-readers, laptops, charging units and digital screens when you need them. Creating more maker-boxes, helping us to deliver more makerspace activities for young people across our borough.”
• Bradford – Warm spaces to stay open in Bradford district after proving popular – Yahoo News. “In February alone the warm spaces in council libraries were used by more than 8,000 people, a quarter of those pensioners. Now, due to the popularity, many of the venues are set to be kept open as ‘welcoming spaces’ using money from the Department for Work and Pension’s Household Support Fund”
• Bury – Shopping plaza to be razed for new leisure centre, pools, cafe and library in Radcliffe town centre – Manchester World. “A large area of Radcliffe town centre is set to be demolished to make way for a new civic hub building containing a swimming pools, a leisure centre, café and library. A planning application for the long awaited plans for the partial redevelopment of the town centre was published by Bury Council on Friday.” … ” Much of the money for the development has come from the award of £20m to the project from the Levelling Up fund in early 2022. “
• Camden – Swiss Cottage Library – Low carbon retrofit using public sector decarbonisation scheme – DCMS Libraries. “To coincide with CILIP’s Green Libraries Conference on 24 March 2023, we are sharing this case study” … “With the inception of the Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme (PSDS) it was an ideal time for the council to deliver improvements” … “he project is predicted to make significant savings to the council’s running costs at more than £31,000 a year whilst also delivering annual carbon savings of 138 tonnes of CO2e.”
• Dudley – Two Dudley libraries to close temporarily for revamp works – Stourbridge News. “Brierley Hill Library is to undergo a major revamp as part of the town’s multi-million-pound regeneration and will be closed for around three months. Meanwhile, Lye Library is to close for a week while essential maintenance work is carried out. Layout changes and redecoration will take place at Brierley Hill Library, which will be given a new children’s play area where little ones can play and lear”
• Essex – Basildon gets £4.4m from government for creative and digital sectors – BBC. “Colchester Library will also receive £337,500 to create an interactive learning and play space for children.”
• Harrow – Windsor Castle comes to Harrow libraries with children’s workshops – Harrow Online. ACE funds the Royal Collection Trust to do visits to libraries to talk about castles.
• Hertfordshire – Hoddesdon and Watford Central Libraries to benefit from Arts Council funding – Hertfordshire Council. “Transform sections of both libraries into bright, contemporary spaces that are welcoming to all. The installation of a ‘CreatorSpace’ in the lower ground floor at Hoddesdon. The transformation of the Lecture Hall at Watford Central Library into a modern, tech-enabled meeting and performance space”
• Kent – Folkestone residents protest against closure of town library – Kent Online. “Dozens of campaigners” protest about permanent closure of library due to flood damage. ” it was announced the facility is unlikely to ever reopen due to the scale of the repairs needed. Kent County Council (KCC) deputy leader Cllr Peter Oakford (Con) says the council is unable to commit the £1.8 million budget required to carry out the work. “The amount of work is more significant than KCC had anticipated and KCC has to be realistic that in the current challenging financial climate, any spend has to be prioritised,” he added.”
• Inverclyde – Inverclyde Libraries still offering free digital skills sessions – Greenock Telegraph.

• Leicester – New digital suite created at iconic Leicester library – Leicester Council. “isitors to the Grade II listed St Barnabas Library, on French Road, can now make, edit and share their own video content, thanks to new cutting-edge facilities that have been created as part of an £85,000 project. Twelve new PCs have also been provided for library members to use, along with a new performance area, projector and viewing screen. New bi-fold doors will allow the area to be separated off or opened up to the wider library for large performances” … ” The project has been made possible thanks to a £65,000 funding award from Arts Council England’s Libraries Improvement Fund, with Leicester City Council providing an additional £20,000 of funding.”
• Liverpool – New chapter for library of the future – Liverpool Express. “Previously Spellow Library, situated in the heart of Walton in North Liverpool, was open just three days a week and typical for a 1960s building had poor accessibility, no toilets and limited services. Now following a radical, community-led makeover – the renamed Spellow Hub will be the first facility of its kind in the north of England to offer a complete “education to employment” service for people of all abilities.”
• North Ayrshire – Irvine mother and daughter star in promo for North Ayrshire libraries – Irvine Times. “Jen and her two-year-old daughter are at the forefront of the ‘Every Child A Library Member’ initiative which promotes the area’s library services and urges parents to sign their children up for a free membership. Showcasing the libraries’ extensive physical and audio book collections and their BookBug events for toddlers, the videos will be shared via social media and the NHS Health Visitor app over the next few months.”
• North Northamptonshire – Kettering’s £4.5m Cornerstone art gallery and library project needs community ‘support and understanding’, says councillor explaining extension leaks – Northamptonshire Telegraph. ““North Northamptonshire [Council] are now working to rectify the issues, which include long-standing defects with the library roof that have further deteriorated, impacting the new extension. “The issues with the rapidly deteriorating library roof have impacted the new build part of the project as water is travelling through the roof space from one building to the other. A decision has now been taken to ensure the library building is watertight before we open Cornerstone”
• Nottinghamshire – Service Disruptions – Inspire Culture. Gotham Library closed due to fire.
• Shropshire – Six Shropshire Council libraries to share in £236,000 Arts Council England funding – Shropshire Council. “It will be used to purchase 1:1 interview pods with supporting technology, enabling private consultations with the public, both face to face or online, for example by offering Shropshire Local customers privacy when discussing their individual needs. It will also fund new mobile shelving to create flexible space to accommodate health and wellbeing sessions offered through social prescribing and creative health models.”
• Staffordshire – Burton Library closed over ceiling safety concerns – BBC. “A new ceiling is due to be installed later this year as part of a planned renovation of the site. The council said it was working on providing an alternative service as soon as possible.”
• Stoke on Trent – Stoke-on-Trent Libraries Secure £300,000 funding from Libraries Improvement Fund – Stoke on Trent Council. “The first project that will benefit from this funding, includes the installation of self-release printing on four library sites plus WiFi printing in all six libraries. A second project is also planned, which will modernise Stoke and Longton libraries, making them flexible community spaces for various groups and customers.”
• Suffolk – Suffolk Libraries officially launches Menopause & Me – Suffolk Libraries. “programme is being run with funding from the Department of Health and Social Care. It aims to help people who are experiencing the menopause and perimenopause, with a focus on empowering local employers to provide as much support as possible for their staff. Suffolk Libraries will be working with Suffolk Mind and other partners on the project.”
• Suffolk: Museums and libraries receive £3m for improvements – East Anglian Daily Times. ” £219,000 from a separate fund to pay for the creation of an online tool providing tailored recommendations for people looking to find out more about local activities.”
• Surrey – Surrey Libraries receive £75k funding – Surrey News. Flexible shelving. “The recent funding of £75k from the Arts Council Cultural Investment Fund will help libraries to continue to deliver their “Dynamic Spaces” project in eight libraries. The first part of this project was completed in 2022 with the provision of flexible shelving in ten libraries, which has meant that libraries can move furniture around to reconfigure spaces to accommodate far more events and services, and for many more of our residents.”
• Wirral – Extended opening hours to return to Wirral libraries – Wirral Globe. Trial: “The four central libraries at Bebington, Birkenhead, Wallasey and West Kirby will be open until 7pm on Tuesdays and Thursdays from Monday, April 3. Six community libraries will also have extended hours to include opening on four weekdays, plus every Saturday morning. This improved offer provides an additional 91 hours per week across the library service and improve residents’ access to books, technology, study space and all other services provided at the local library”

Editorial

Like many, I have been caught up in the debate about the neutrality of the BBC. Like public libraries that august institution has a duty to neutrality and, like us, comes under pressure from time to time to be less than evenly balanced. And if the BBC sometimes finds this difficult then it’s potentially even harder for something like libraries, which are after all part of a service led by councillors, who are almost all of one political party or another. Ultimately, there’s little that can be done in such instances other than to quote stock policies, national or local, and hope. Unless there’s a well-known television commentator who notices of course.

There’s the usual mixture of good and bad news stories, and continuing rumours of deep cuts coming in some councils, but a story that can always be relied on is the news about the Summer Reading Challenge. This is the biggest promotion that most public library services ever do and has tremendous traction with the public, many of whom remember doing it themselves either as children or as parents. And, of course, the theme this year is sports and games, which ties in well with the Women’s World Cup coming up soon. Hang on, that means we may have tweets from footballers …

Changes by local authority

• Cumbria – Threatened libraries to stay open apart from Peter Street Library

Ideas

• Easter Egg donations for charity – Sandwell
• Public vote on which events to put on – Cambridgeshire.

National news

• Author Joanne Harris calls for more investment in libraries and the arts – Chester Standard. “Ms Harris, author of Chocolat, spoke out after receiving an OBE for services to literature from the Prince of Wales at a Windsor Castle investiture on Tuesday. After the ceremony, she praised William and the Queen Consort for championing causes that promote literacy in the UK, but called on the Government to do more.”
• LibraryOn Grants programme application guidance – LibraryOn.
• A love letter to local libraries – The Know. “while visits have increased by 68%, spending on UK libraries has fallen by 17%. This waning investment comes at a time when libraries are more crucial to our communities than ever before. There are very few places left where people can go to access information, meet others and keep warm – without needing to spend anything.”
• Majority of English councils plan more cuts at same time as maximum tax rises – Guardian. “At least 12 councils are on the edge of “effective bankruptcy”, the survey warns, as they struggle to meet their official obligation to balance their budget while trying to maintain legal minimum levels of core service provision, from adult social care to roads repair, libraries and homelessness.”
• Nooks take centre stage as libraries level up for the hybrid future – Specification Online. “We’ve really seen take-up of Nooks in libraries lift off, with 25 Nook installations in UK libraries and five new installations in the past month alone.”

• Open meeting on Sanderson inquiry into public libraries and Campaign AGM – Library Campaign / Eventbrite. “An open discussion on Baroness Sanderson’s inquiry into public libraries will be followed by the Library Campaign AGM” including guest speaker Isobel Hunter (Chief Executive, Libraries Connected)
  with LC’s analysis of the current library landscape. Saturday 25 March, 2 to 4pm. Unison HQ, London. Teams online option available if book online and say you’re planning to use Teams.
• The Reading Agency partners with Youth Sport Trust for Summer Reading Challenge 2023 – BookSeller. “The Reading Agency has revealed that this year’s Summer Reading Challenge will be “Ready, Set, Read!” The annual challenge encourages children to engage with books during the summer reading “dip”. According to the agency, it reached 723,184 children and families across the UK in 2022, with 608,015 children taking part through their local library service. This year, the agency – in partnership with the Youth Sport Trust – has the dual aim to keep children’s minds and bodies active over the summer break.”
• Should Public Libraries Double Down on Print Book Collections? – Publishers Weekly / Tim Coates. “The declines are serious and suggest that the library’s reputation as a vital community resource is in peril. How serious? I fear these trends could lead to the disintegration of U.S. public libraries within a generation if allowed to continue. And without strategic changes visible to the public, I believe they will continue. Take the U.K. as a cautionary tale … I believe that if just 6% of the money currently in the staff and management budget was spent instead on books, we would begin to reverse the decline in library usage.”. See this page for more figures from Tim.

International news

• Singapore – Public libraries in S’pore will keep original Roald Dahl books for now instead of using revised versions – Mothership. “The general principles of the [national government] guidelines state that publications should “not undermine the national interest, public security or public confidence in the law and its enforcement in Singapore.” Content related to race and religion should also “not denigrate, offend the sensitivities of, or incite intolerance or misunderstanding” among” the main racial and religious groups in Singapore.
• USA – Man Who Painted ‘Groomer’ on Libraries Caught With Child Pornography, Police Say – Vice. “Charles Sutherland was formerly a librarian at Northview Elementary in Bowie, Maryland. In June 2022, police arrested Sutherland for vandalizing two libraries in Maryland—one in New Carrollton, and another in Greenbelt—by painting the word “groomer” across the entrances, and was charged with multiple counts of hate crimes at the time. “

Local news by authority

• Aberdeen – Save our Cornhill Library – Change.org. “This petition asks Aberdeen City Council to reverse their decision to close Cornhill Library. Please share this petition widely as we try to save this vital community resource.”
• Letter to Aberdeen Council – Sean McNamara / CILIPS. “Aberdeen City already has one of the lowest numbers of branches per population (1.62 per 20,000) and well below the average of 2.04 per 20,000. These changes could leave Aberdeen as having the lowest number of library branches per population in Scotland”

• Cambridgeshire – Have your say in arts events at Cambridgeshire libraries in 2023 – Fenland Citizen. “A selection of performances will be published online and in libraries from until March 22 for residents to make their choices. “
• Camden – 20 reasons why Library of Things is great – Camdenist. “As their latest branch opens in Kilburn Library, we’ve put together 20 reasons why you should give these rapidly expanding champions of the circular economy a whirl…”
• Cardiff – Do We Still Need Libraries? In Our Modern World, The Answer Is Yes  – Voice Wales. “At the heart of a library, are the librarians, drawing together all the aforementioned elements into a holistic service that truly caters for all.  Machines can monitor loans, but they tell nothing about how an exhausted mum found a reason to leave the house, how a child learned to clap joyously at songs and nursery rhymes, how a widower became less alone, or how someone borrowed a book that changed their life.  Social connections do not come from data, and cannot be quantified by scanners.  We need librarians because libraries are for human beings in the pursuit of human activities.  “
• Cheshire East – Opinion: “I’m sad the council will be reducing library opening hours” – Northwich Guardian.
• Cumbria – Cumbria Libraries remind communities that they are ‘fine free’ – News and Star. “Cumbria Libraries have been ‘fine free’ for nearly two years meaning anyone returning overdue library books does not receive a fine.”
• Devon – Book sale to boost library charity’s coffers – Mid-Devon Advertiser. “The prices are as follows: £3 for hardbacks; £2 for paperbacks; £2 for children’s fiction books and finally £1 for children’s picture books. All proceeds will be re-invested into Libraries Unlimited”
• Dorset – Barclays Local bank at Weymouth Library and Learning Centre – Dorset Echo. “Barclays Local opened for customers at the Weymouth Library and Learning Centre on Great George Street on Monday, March 6 – just days after its main branch on St Mary Street closed. “
• Essex – The King and The Queen Consort visit Colchester Library – Essex Council. “We are delighted that The King and The Queen Consort were able to visit one of our libraries today and hear more about the fantastic work we are continuing to do through the Essex Year of Reading. “

• Glasgow – Woodside Library in Glasgow reveals opening date after £2.3m refurb – Glasgow Times. Upgrade includes “new, vibrant reading room with study areas, a private kitchen and updated computers. There will also be a range of new books in place.”
• Gwynedd – Gwynedd libraries where you can keep warm and meet people – North Wales Chronicle. “The Gwynedd Library Service Plan – Living Libraries 2023-2028 – was approved on Tuesday, March 7.” … “Reading was still at the the heart of the service offer, with around 60% of users visiting libraries to borrow a book.”
  • Loan books, keep warm, meet people and borrow a drill – Cambrian Times. “The county’s libraries now offered a range of services, with some even lending out items such as gardening equipment, DIY tools, games and toys.”
• Haringey – Residents get access to millions of books as Haringey completes The Libraries Consortium membership – Haringey Council. “Haringey residents can borrow and return items to and from 321 libraries in 23 local council areas across London and the South East from today (Monday 6 March) after the council’s libraries service completed its journey to membership of the Libraries Consortium.”

• Middlesbrough – Hublets bring latest digital tech to town’s libraries – Tees Business. “The Finnish-made high-tech devices are loanable tablets for use in the library using our new dedicated WiFi Network.” from Libraries Improvement Fund.
• Northern Ireland – Great events happening in libraries across Belfast – Northern Ireland World. “Libraries are great places to go to if you’re interested in escapism, housing thousands upon thousands of different stories that you can read and fall in love with.”
  • Appointments of Councillor Members to the Board of Libraries NI – Northern Ireland Communities.
• Perth and Kinross – Seven Perth and Kinross libraries saved from proposed closure – Daily Record. “It is understood libraries in Alyth, Auchterarder, Birnam, Comrie, North Inch and Pitlochry were all under threat as well as Coupar Angus which is currently temporarily closed.” … “Last week councillors committed £173,000 for the 2023/24 revenue budget to keep these libraries open but the council will look at the affordability and sustainability of its assets in the longer term.”
• Sandwell – Donate Easter eggs at libraries in Sandwell – Sandwell Council. “Sandwell Council is appealing for donations of Easter eggs for Santa’s Black Country Toy Appeal.”
• St Helens – Campaigner says ‘libraries are levellers’ as another is closed – Liverpool Echo. “St Helens Borough Council recently announced that Peter Street Library will be closed permanently from the end of March. The owners of the site have decided to hire the space out to another organisation.” …
• Staffordshire – People invited to celebrate British Science Week at Perton Library – Staffordshire Council. “Robot and coding workshops, forensics activities, geology, and even a real fire engine are amongst the activities in this year’s science fair.”
• Stockport – Stockport Libraries have helped over 5,000 people in Stockport with digital skills – Stockport Council.
• Suffolk – Newly refurbished children’s area unveiled at Brandon Library – Suffolk Libraries. “The refurbishment was funded by planner development funding and with the Friends of Brandon Library also kindly contributing £250 towards the improvements.”
  • Haverhill Library launches new photography competition to help create fund-raising calendar – Suffolk News.
  • Suffolk Libraries and Rock Paper Scissors get on their bike for Big Weekender – Suffolk Libraries. “The new art bike has been purchased after Rock Paper Scissors were awarded £11,000 from Suffolk County Council’s Public Mental Health Programme through its Children and Young people subgroup. “
  • Suffolk Libraries needs your views on proposed plans to extend Thurston Library – Suffolk libraries. “The extension would be funded using money from local housing developments which is available to make improvements to the infrastructure of public services through the Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL). The results of this survey will become part of the application bid into the CIL funding pot.”

• Worcestershire – Worcestershire Libraries Cost of Living fairs help over 800 residents – Worcestershire Council. “The events were a huge success, with 835 additional people visiting the libraries during the fairs, equating to a 32% increase in visitors compared to the average number of visitors in January and February. The events were attended by regular library customers and those new to libraries, demonstrating the wide appeal and importance of the information and advice available.”
• York – Dringhouses library soon to reopen after being closed because of cold – Yahoo News. “bosses decided to temporarily close the library in the middle of last month because average temperatures inside were only 10 degrees. Health and Safety Executive guidance states that the minimum temperature for working indoors in a library-type environment should be at least 16°C.”