National election called: public librarians know which way they will be voting

Editorial

So, an election has been called. The British public can now decide on who they think is best to govern them. On hearing the news, I immediately ran a poll to see which political party the nice people on Twitter who follow me think should win. The result wasn’t really open to interpretation. I could be wrong but I think a 87.3% vote for Labour would mean they take government. Out of 142 votes, the Conservatives and Lib Dems tied on five or six votes each, with Reform getting none. Twitter polls only allow four options so I went with the biggest polling parties but responses suggest that the Greens would have got a good showing if they had been included. Clearly, not many Reform voters – shocker – follow me, as they received zero votes.

Last week’s editorial suggested the Single Digital Presence / LibraryOn received £3m of budget in the last three years. I have been contacted since then with more accurate figures. The project actually received £3.4m of funding but £1.54m was for direct grants to library services. I was heartened to be told in the same email that ACE and the DCMS have not lost their ambition for a single library card but, considering there are 153 very independent councils and the move would be voluntary then the challenge will be considerable. If not impossible. Perhaps a new Labour Government could do better, however much of a hard act to follow this – checks notes from Conservative Central Office – uber-competent, stable and well-loved Conservative Government will be.

Changes by authority

• Bridgend – Consultation, expected cuts to opening hours and book fund.
• Leicestershire – Ibstock volunteer-run library closed.
• Pembrokshire – Consultation launched. Cuts expected.
• Worcestershire – Redditch Library will stay where it is due to Redditch council now being under Labour control.
• Wrexham – Consultation launched.

National news

• Libraries are told to install panic buttons, hire guards and get staff wearing bodycams after surge in ‘disruptive behaviour’ from customers – Mail. “National charity Libraries Connected published the guidance to protect staff “. Increase in anti-social behaviour. [This story is also covered on various national newspaper websites, some international – Ed.]
• Libraries facing closure as budgets squeezed – BBC. Cuts to Havering and Croydon. Kamal Shah of North Harrow Community Library, who is also chairman of the Community Libraries Network, suaggests using volunteers instead of closing them.
• Look for a Book challenge returns during May half-term – Oldham Evening News. Across Greater Manchester. “Manchester’s Festival of Libraries will be opening a new chapter this summer, with writers, artists, musicians and poets preparing to fill the region’s 133 libraries with performances, trails, talks and crafts, with a huge part of the programme designed to be Family Friendly.” … “Hidden in and around the green spaces of Manchester’s libraries will be 500 copies of Konnie Huq’s Fearless Fairy Tales lying in wait to be found.”

Hi, I’m Maddie, a Masters student researching green libraries and environmental education and am looking for public librarians to interview. If you’re interested in participating or want more details, please contact me at 22560062@stu.mmu.ac.uk Thank you

Email received

• Public Libraries as Social Innovators – Public Library Quality. “This reflects a change in service logic, moving away from the mobilization of technical capabilities in a low interactivity context and toward the mobilization of human capabilities in a high interactivity context. Public libraries now stand as social innovators in that their activities modify interaction patterns among individuals.”

International news

• Australia – Community libraries that lend things promote neighbourhood sharing and reduced consumption – ABC News. “The Sydney Library of Things is like the most helpful neighbour you can imagine”. Volunteer run, items almost all donated by public.
• Canada Innisfil, Essa libraries split $15K in Smile Cookie proceeds – Barrie Today. “Thank you to local Tim Hortons restaurant owners and many guests who bought Smile Cookies in support of our local libraries.”
• Iran – Personality Characteristics of Librarians and its Relationship with Digital Literacy Skills in Public
  Libraries of Kermanshah Province – Journal of Knowledge Retrieval and Semantic Systems. “The research results confirm the relationship between personality traits and digital literacy skills among librarians and on this basis, it is concluded that to empower librarians it is necessary to pay attention to personality traits and promote to librarians digital literacy.”

• USA – Donnelly Public Library will become adults-only to comply with new ‘library porn’ law – Boise State Public Radio. “Donnelly Public Library will no longer allow anyone under 18 to visit unless accompanied by a parent starting July 1. That’s due to the implementation of House Bill 710 passed earlier this year, which requires all libraries – both public and private – to relocate a book to an adults-only section within 60 days of receiving a written complaint. If the library declines to do so, it could face a civil lawsuit under the law. That comes with a mandatory $250 fine for the library and plaintiffs could receive uncapped damages. “Our size prohibits us from separating our ‘grown up’ books to be out of the accessible range of children,” the library’s statement reads, noting it’s only 1,024 square feet.”
  • Jodi Picoult: ‘It’s not a badge of honour to be banned’ – BBC. “Picoult said her books My Sister’s Keeper and Nineteen Minutes were affected by the bans.” … “She said the reason Nineteen Minutes, which is about a US school shooting, was banned, was not because of the shooting scenes: “They have no problem with that. The problem is that on page 313, I use the term ‘erection’.””
  • Librarians: Watch authoritarians in action – Coeur d’Alene Press / Post Falls. Idaho. “Is it OK for library trustees to freely impose their wills while they discount citizen, expert or staff views? Is it really OK if our community belongs only to some of us now?”

• Making Democracy Work: How local libraries work toward sustainability – TBR Newsmedia. Some libraries “offer a wide range of talks, activities, and displays to answer patrons’ questions or broaden their expertise. Some sponsor “carbon crews,” which are small groups of residents working toward reducing their carbon footprints with support from a leader and other members. Some have started “repair cafes” where patrons can get help from other patrons to fix items they want to keep using.”
  • Not your childhood library – New Yorker. “An ambitious experiment in Minneapolis is changing the way librarians work with their homeless patrons and challenging how we share public space.”. Gives away free clothing . “The police regularly clear the city’s streets of encampments, but officers don’t run unhoused people out of Central. As long as they follow the rules, any patron—and everyone at the library is called a patron—can stay all day, every day.”

Local news by authority

• Bolton – Maxine Peake to appear at Bolton Central Library next month – Bolton News. She comes from the town. “Maxine, renowned for her captivating roles in Three Girls, Black Mirror, and Silk, will be sharing how libraries have shaped her life and work. The visit is part of the Festival of Libraries.”
  • The Creative Core designs Bolton Library in multi-million-pound renovation project – Blooloop. Spectacular, very white, photographs. “Visitors enter Bolton Library through a portal which takes them straight to the middle of the space. Here they will find a welcome desk and seating, surrounded by rows of bookshelves which radiate outwards from this central point.”
  • People banned from Bolton’s libraries for abuse and alcohol – Bolton News. “A total of 34 bans have been issued since 2020 for reasons including indecent exposure, aggressive behaviour, drinking alcohol, racist abuse, vandalism, and swearing.”. Such behaviour is increasing.
• Bridgend – Bridgend Council to engage with public on cuts to library services – Bridgend Herald. “set to begin public engagement with residents this month over potential cuts to its library and cultural services.” … “Some of these savings would include a reduction of £50,000 from the library book renewal fund” … “There could also be a public consultation over changes to the borough’s library services, which could see a reduction to opening hours by around 60 hours per week across the entire library estate, as well as ending the local books on wheels service which currently delivers books to 345 households.”
• Ceredigion – Lampeter vows to fight library relocation – Cambrian News. “In Lampeter, the plan is to relocate the library an eight-minute walk away into the town’s Wellbeing Centre, but petitions have already been launched, collecting hundreds of signatures calling for the library to stay put in its current location near the town’s Sainsbury’s supermarket.” Well attended meeting against move.
• Cheshire East – Macclesfield MP candidates share their thoughts on potential closure of Bollington Library – Macclesfield Nub News. “This could leave the town of over 7000 people without a local library.” Closure not officially announced but Friends group claims it would be from January 2025. “While the community group has remained tight-lipped regarding the source, and Cheshire East nor confirming or denying, it has been reported across the media and concerned people who want to become Macclesfield’s next MP.”. No candidates unsurprisingly say they support the closure.
  • ‘Strong concern’ over potential library closures – BBC. Cuts concentrated in north of borough.
• Edinburgh – ​We must support our libraries and community hubs – Foysol Choudhury – Edinburgh News. “Libraries provide communities with a multitude of benefits. Not only do they give free access to books but they are also community hubs with clubs, events, room hires and warm, welcoming spaces.”
• Essex – Body-worn cameras considered after librarian assaulted in Colchester – BBC. “A library has been considering giving staff body-worn cameras after more than 50 anti-social behaviour incidents, including an assault on a librarian, took place over the past three months.”
• Gloucestershire – More library choirs for over-60s to fight loneliness – BBC. “More library choirs are being set up to combat loneliness among the over-60s in Gloucestershire. The project which started in Longlevens, Gloucestershire, in December will be rolled out to Coleford and Tuffley libraries after a successful funding bid. The groups were created to help people who are more than 60 years old cope with loneliness and isolation.”
• Hammersmith and Fulham – Special events for children at libraries – Hammersmith and Fulham Council. Spine Festival events.
• Haringey – Adults’ section at Hornsey Library to re-open – Haringey Council. After RAAC found.
• Havering – Havering Council told to reconsider library closure plans – Romford Recorder. Opposition mounts to announced cuts. Union and a Labour and a Conservative MP all criticise move.
• Hull – The Big Malarkey: Kids’ reading festival returns to East Park – Hull Story.
• Leicestershire – Council ‘reluctantly’ closes library for good – BBC. “The facility was most recently run by a group of volunteers, but they told the council in September that they could not continue. This prompted a hunt for a new team to keep the doors open, which was ultimately unsuccessful.”
• Manchester – ‘Quiet Storm’ went down a storm with pupils! Read all about this year’s Manchester high school Transition Read  – MancLibraries Blog. “Every child starting Year 7 in a Manchester high school in September will be gifted a copy of this book when they attend their ‘transition day’ in July.”
• North Ayrshire – Parent council to petition local councillors on re-design of North Ayrshire library service – Daily Record. “Both parents and school pupils have been left feeling “happy” that the re-design of North Ayrshire library service is paused until August 2025, following a meeting of full council earlier this month.” … “Currently, there are five librarians across secondary schools in the region. One of the proposals from the budget meeting was that only two term-time jobs would remain within the school library service”
• Nottingham – Campaigners say four Nottingham libraries could be closed by council under plans – Notts TV. “Des Conway, who helped campaign to save the Basford, Aspley, and Radford-Lenton libraries in 2022, told the Local Democracy Reporting Service in February the council held a meeting with UNISON. This meeting revealed all but three libraries could face closure.” but now says ““If the rumour mill is to be believed, then the nuclear option of closing all but three of the city’s libraries fortunately will not now happen,” … ” it is understood the four libraries which could be earmarked for closure are Aspley, Basford, Bilborough and Radford”. Council has not confirmed or denied.
• Pembrokeshire – Pembrokeshire Library Service seeks residents’ input – Western Telegraph. Cuts expected. “Cllr Harvey has announced an extensive library needs assessment exercise, seeking input from residents.”
• Southend – Labour take control to lead coalition in Southend – BBC. “r Cowan used his first speech as leader to rule out closing libraries saying he would not find savings in “improper places”. “This administration will not even contemplate any proposals to scrap libraries, family centres or dementia community support services while we hold office,” he said.”
• Stirling – Off the Page Stirling Libraries Book and Culture Festival – List. “Our Stirling Council Libraries and Archives book festival ‘Off the Page’ is returning this year starting Thursday 25th May and running until Tuesday 30th May.”
• Suffolk – Suffolk Libraries welcomes new Environmentalist in Residence – Suffolk Libraries. “During his residency Martin will be working on the development of a project called Seconds of Sound (S.O.S), inviting the public to take part in weekly sound walks that connect all 45 of our branches (plus some of our local prison libraries too).” Museum in a box – RFID’d objects which cause sounds to play.
  • 100 years of Ipswich County Library – our new exhibition launches this week – Suffolk Libraries. ” staff from Ipswich County Library and Suffolk Libraries’ Arts team have put together a display showcasing images from the past, historic books, objects, and memorabilia relating to the library’s 100 years of service the local community.”
  • Chantry Library in Ipswich to delay reopening after legionella detected – Suffolk News. “Chantry Library has been shut since May 8 after a routine water test revealed the risk of the bacteria being present in the water supply of the taps in its toilet.” … “After liaising with Suffolk County Council, work to replace the library’s roof will also take place while the building is closed.”
  • Introducing Reading Quest! Where will reading take you this summer? – Suffolk Libraries. “Reading Quest is being supported by official sponsors Advantage Angels, one of the fastest growing private nursing agencies in the UK who have their HQ in Ipswich and support care homes, hospitals, private homecare nursing, primary care and mental health institutions across the country. Advantage Angels are providing £20,000 of sponsorship to help Suffolk Libraries create a range of colourful and free resources for children over the next two years.”
  • Suffolk Libraries’ reading scheme back with 5 author talks – East Anglian Daily Times. Five adult authors.
• Swansea – Libraries’ warm welcome saluted with national honour – Swansea Herald. Library of Sanctuary.
• Wandsworth – More than a million people visit Wandsworth libraries – Wandsworth Council. “Well over a million people enjoyed visiting Wandsworth’s libraries last year – an increase of 17 per cent on the previous year. Close to two million books were issued, 75 per cent of them physical books, and the rest e-books. Figures are two per cent up on 2022-23.”
• Wirral – Creative writing and art workshops for adult beginners in Wirral – Wirral Globe. ACE funded.
• Worcestershire – Library demolition halted by new council leader – BBC. “Plans to demolish and relocate Redditch Library have been halted. The library was set to be moved into the town hall, despite some opposition from residents. But new borough council leaderJoe Baker said he was looking at unwinding contracts signed for the project, plus new proposals for the town centre. Labour won control of Redditch Borough Council in local elections earlier this month, after six years under the Conservatives. “The library has been a quite contentious subject on the doors,” Mr Baker said. “We’ve listened… The library is not going to be moving into the town hall.””
  • Worcestershire libraries are bidding for more volunteers – Worcester Observer. For Summer Reading Challenge. “Last year, 116 young volunteers helped deliver the challenge, they completed 1,600 cumulative hours.”
• Wrexham – Wrexham Council launches consultation on library services – Leader Live.