At least it means

Editorial

The usual repeat story of censorship in libraries is again in the news, with reports on protests to library staff over stock and events plus also the move in the British Library to tag books which may be politically incorrect at the date of tagging. I now remember somewhat fondly those innocent years when librarians could put what they thought was needed on the shelves without worrying about offending someone or being complained about. At least it means that people take what librarians do seriously I guess, although I could have done without the horribly one-sided report on GB News, though, included below.

Otherwise it’s been a quiet and indeed positive week, at least on the surface, with no less than three new libraries in the news. OK, none of them are big, at least one is volunteer staffed and one is community-owned but you can’t have everything I guess. Well, not people taking what you do for granted anyway.

Changes by local authority

• Edinburgh – Replacement Rotho library being built.
• North Tyneside – New volunteer library at Meadow Well, North Shields
• Stirling – New community-owned library in Strathblane opens.

Ideas

• Silent tea dance – Inverclyde.

National news

• Calling all bookworms: Manchester is hosting a festival of libraries – Time Out. “Thought the library was dead? Think again. Footfall might have depleted over the last two decades, but a significant number of our public libraries remain alive and well”
• Councils warned over library cutbacks after staff reductions – Herald Scotland. “New figures, obtained through Freedom of Information requests, reveal that the number of library staff in Scotland has dropped from 1,462 full-time equivalent workers in 2017-18 to just 1,306 by 2021-22. The data comes from the 24 out of 32 Scottish local authorities that provided responses to the requests.” … “Scotland’s Culture Minister has warned local councils to think “extremely carefully” before rolling out cutbacks to libraries after it was revealed the number of library staff has fallen since 2017.”
• ‘For the first time ever, I worry about doing drag gigs’ – BBC. ““Drag Story Hour looks exactly like any other [event] you would see at a library,” says Jonathan Hamlit, Drag Story Hour’s executive director in the US. “But the reader may look a little more fabulous than your average librarian.”” … “This level of violence has not been seen in the UK, but there have also been protests around drag storytelling events. “Last summer we had over 60 events [in the UK],” says Sab. “Only one of them didn’t have any aggressive people outside shouting at me.””

• Libraries partnership to provide information and support for people living with diabetes – Scotsman. “The pioneering project is a partnership between Diabetes Scotland, Digital Health & Care Innovation, Scottish Library and Information Council (SLIC), The Health and Social Care Alliance Scotland (the Alliance), and pathfinder libraries in Aberdeenshire, the Borders, Dundee City, Glasgow City and Stirlingshire.”
• ‘Remove books on race and empire’, librarians told – Times (Behind paywall).
• Scottish Fine Free Movement – SLIC. “Removing barriers to access is a key action of Forward: Scotland’s Public Library Strategy, creating the momentum for Scotland’s public libraries to end fines for all. “

• Third of UK librarians asked to censor or remove books, research reveals – Guardian. “Research carried out by the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals (Cilip), the UK’s library and information association, found that a third of librarians had been asked by members of the public to censor or remove books, indicating that such incidences “had increased significantly in recent years”, according to Cilip’s chief executive, Nick Poole. The most targeted books involve empire, race and LGBTQ+ themes.” … “Cilip is in the process of updating the national guidance for librarians in managing stock, spaces, events and activities.” … ” “No librarian should ever be in fear of their wellbeing or safety as a result of doing their job for the public.””
• Tom Gauld on creating the perfect library – cartoon – Guardian. “Leave?”
• Why we should (sort of) abolish the poet laureate – Varsity. “We do need someone to stand in solidarity with poetry, but we don’t need them standing on the monarchy’s shoulders. If poetry needs a face, it should be a fresh one.” It should be poetry for the sake of poetry, and for the sake of the people” … ” laureates should take their cues from librarians, not the King”

International news

• Canada – Why is there an increase of violence in Canadian public libraries? – Global News. “Local branches of all sizes are reporting an increase in verbal and physical violence. And for some, the pandemic made it even worse. Over the past two years, one person died and six others were injured in a mass stabbing in a public library in North Vancouver. Last December, 28-year-old Tyree Cayer was killed during a visit to Winnipeg’s Millennium Library. Four teenagers were charged in his death. And two branches of the Saskatoon library were closed temporarily because of concerns about staff safety.”
• Global – The library of 2030: what to expect from changes to physical design – Press Reader. Study space and place to talk, technology, automatic shelving, workspace, new libraries will be designed to be photographed.
• Poland / Ukraine – Rajska to Ukraine. Library’s help and support – Naple Sister Libraries. ” We are honoured that during this long and very difficult year, so many citizens of Ukraine residing in Krakow and Malopolska have found a place in the Rajska Library” … ” decided to launch a new, bilingual channel on Telegram”
• Russia/Ukraine – Putin’s War on Ukrainian Memory – The Atlantic. “According to the Ukrainian Library Association, three national and state libraries, including the National Scientific Medical Library of Ukraine, as well as some 25 university libraries, have been severely damaged or destroyed. The most shocking statistics relate to public libraries: 47 have been completely destroyed beyond repair; another 158 are badly damaged and in need of repair; and a further 276 have received less serious damage.”
• USA – The Week in Libraries: April 21, 2023 – Publishers Weekly. “”Local-library systems, and local librarians, are being vilified nationwide as peddlers of Marxism and child pornography. Whatever faith there was in public learning and public space is fraying. ”
  • Book Banners Are Now Trying to Close Public Libraries – Yahoo Sport.
  • Dolly Parton Awarded Honorary Membership in the American Library Association – ALA News. Dolly “considers her Imagination Library initiative as one of her greatest achievements. “
  • In Secret Recording, a Top City Library Official Calls Alaska Natives “Woke” and “Racists” – Pro Publica. Republican political appointee says Inuit are racist.
  • Libraries with affordable housing could solve two problems at once – WGBH. “The West End and Upham’s corner branches will receive renovations and affordable housing units. “
  • NYC libraries could cut weekend service if Mayor Adams’ budget cuts go through – Gothamist. ““This would result in the elimination of Sunday service at all eight current locations, the reduction of hours, and moving to a five-day service schedule at a majority of locations,” “
  • “When the Culture Wars Come for the Public Library” – New Yorker. Republicans redefining “everyone” as “the majority” … ” trust has worn away, shrinking the bonds of state and citizen, and the public sector over all.” Local politicians no longer trust the library and wish to decide on what is appropriate stock themselves.

Local news by authority

• Argyll – Oban Library welcomes Argyll Ukrainians – Oban Times.
• Bolton – Little Lever Library: Youths continue to terrorise library – Bolton News. ” the toilets were trashed with paper strewn everyone.”… “Now there is call for more to be done rather than just giving the youths ‘biscuits’.”… “People are now calling for the council to take action and simply ban the young people responsible from the library.”
• Cumberland/Westmorland and Furness – Cumbrian libraries give away free books for World Book Night – News and Star. “Adult Learning Teams will support Library Services in offering the books to groups that use libraries to develop their literacy and English language skills.”
• Devon – Library to close for refurbishment work – Mid-Devon Advertiser. Ashburton.
  • New library wi-fi printing service in West Devon – Okehampton Today. “Customers can also print from home or on-the-go by logging in, sending to print and collecting from the library the same or next day”
• Edinburgh – New library now under construction in Ratho – Edinburgh Reporter. “The library had been contained in a temporary unit and this was demolished making way for a new single storey building. This will allow flexible library space and a modern early years facility.”
• Glasgow – Closure fears as dozens of Glasgow libraries shut down because of staff shortages – Yahoo Sport. Greens fear “closure by stealth”. “The information shows libraries shut for a whole day on 47 occasions last year and 19 times they closed for part of the day. The closures across the city were mainly on Saturdays.” … ” it is libraries in the most deprived areas that appear to be affected most.” Glasgow Life denies reduction in library access is deliberate.
  • Glasgow library helps get people online who don’t have internet – Glasgow Times. ““Thanks to the reopening of the Castlemilk Library and the £484,000 refit it means a lot of people in my ward, in particular, and I’m sure this is the case across a lot of wards in Glasgow are able to access the internet which is becoming crucial for people with their everyday lives.”
• Inverclyde – Greenock Central Library to host silent tea dance – Greenock Telegraph. “A selection of tunes from across the decades will be piped in through headphones for dancers to enjoy.”
  • ComicsPlus now available to Inverclyde Libraries members – Greenock Telegraph. “The titles, which include manga and anime, can be read on a browser or offline using the Android and iOS Library Pass app. “
  • PlayTalkRead scheme proves a hit at Greenock South West Library – Greenock Telegraph. “PlayTalkRead is part of a wider range of support provided for parents and families through the Scottish Government’s Parent Club” … “Smart Play Network runs drop in sessions for play, story time, singing and messy play and targeted and sensory block bookings.”
• North Tyneside – Vera author Ann Cleeves opens new community library in Meadow Well that’s the ‘first step in bringing people back to reading’ – Chronicle Live. “new community library in Meadow Well’s Cedarwood Trust centre” … “the charity has partnered with North Tyneside Libraries to ensure the books are swapped every few weeks.”
• Nottinghamshire – Ten Notts libraries to benefit from a share of £50,586 for self-service equipment – Nottinghamshire Council. “The libraries will share £50,586 as part of the latest round of funding from The Department for Culture, Media and Sport’s Libraries Improvement Fund, set up to transform library services in England.”

• Renfrewshire – Renfrewshire libraries helping people discover ‘new lease of life’ – Gazette. “The sessions, which focus on people who have experienced social isolation and poor health because of the pandemic, are supported by the Scottish Government Public Library Covid Recovery Fund.”
• Staffordshire – Burton Library to reopen after closing suddenly over ‘safety concerns’ – Staffordshire Live. “Burton Library will reopen this Monday, April 24 following the temporary closure. The building was closed as a safety precaution on March 20 with a temporary mobile library service in place outside shortly afterwards.”
• Stirling – First community-owned library built in generations opens in Strathblane – BBC. “The Thomas Graham Community Library, which was partly financed by crowdfunding, is part of a £1m hub that includes meeting and social facilities. Almost 300 local families invested, with the majority of funding coming from local businessman Angus Graham.”

• Suffolk – Long Melford Library still searching for new home as suspension of services in village continues – Suffolk News. “The branch’s regular activities were forced to stop at short notice after the library’s host venue, the Royal British Legion building in Cordell Road, announced that it was closing down with immediate effect in January.” Suffolk Libraries say “we want to reassure everyone that we are 100 per cent committed to finding a replacement site in Long Melford”
• Surrey – Grant is great news for our services – Surrey Comet. “The funding from Arts Council England’s (ACE) Libraries Improvement Fund will go towards transforming facilities at the Hook Centre in Chessington. ” More digital materials, integration with museum.
• Walsall – Walsall Libraries marking World Book Night – Express and Star. “Library staff will be encouraging sign-ups to the Road to Reading, a pledge to read for 30 minutes each week for 10 weeks.”
• West Sussex – Librarian runs to every library in West Sussex in training for London Marathon 2023 – Sussex World. “Amy, principal librarian for digital access at West Sussex Library Service, is running the marathon on Sunday for Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation in memory of her aunty, Belinda Manns, and uncle, Keiran O’Brien.”
• Wiltshire – Wilton Library to temporarily close as it needs essential repair work – Salisbury Journal. “currently has some damage to the ceiling”
• Warwickshire – The Big Help Out in Warwickshire: meet Neill MacKenzie, volunteer at Warwickshire Libraries – Warwickshire Council. “At the library I deliver two one-hour IT Skills sessions every Thursday morning. These were originally aimed at teaching basic computer skills to older library members, although due to popularity the role has now expanded to include all adult age groups.”
  • Waterstone’s Children’s Laureate 2022-24 becomes an official member of Warwickshire Libraries – Warwickshire Council.
• Windsor and Maidenhead – Can libraries drive prosperity through individual one to one support? – DCMS. Windsor and Maidenhead uses its libraries as Job Centres for young people in return for paying for library staff. ” 245 claimants have been seen so far and 219 helped with interview preparation”
• Wrexham – Wrexham libraries: Celebrate 2023 Carnival of Words – Leader.