Editorial

Well, another big week for public libraries being in the news. This was pushed mainly by a BBC report on comparing each English library service now with its service in 2016 which discovered, unsurprisingly, a – shall we say? – downward trend in numbers open, staffing and opening hours. While there is no question that this generally reflects reality, a look at the data suggests that there are specific errors with the data (my service is down as closing three libraries since 2016 – we haven’t; another is shown as opening several new additional libraries – they haven’t) which is a shame.

What isn’t a shame though is the response to the report, with lots of coverage saying how great and useful public libraries are and also that, sadly, many still open are now all but a shadow of their formal selves since fourteen years of cuts. All this has come at the perfect time politically with the new Government considering budget options. However, it looks like all the ministers have been ordered to keep quiet and to toe the line about how austerity is still necessary. Being these are Labour MPs let’s hope that this strategy will survive for a long period of time. Because, Lisa and Chris, this is something that has been cut enough and the cuts are continuing, with Aberdeen, Buckinghamshire, Birmingham, Coventry, Croydon, Enfield, Havering, Peterborough and South Lanarkshire all have news articles protesting against cuts to them or suggesting new reductions.

Beyond the UK, it’s clear that the struggle is more an ideological than financial one. Australia has a couple of news stories about proposed censorship / protecting the minds of children in public libraries plus a reasonably hysterical article or two about staff being trained to ask the gender of children. Pro tip to the libraries question here, though: don’t ask the gender in the first place. You don’t need to know. Same with asking if someone is Miss or Mrs. What has their marital status got to do with using the library? We have the normal stuff from the polarised USA with the addition of a video of a library literally having its books swept away, although by water and not by activists. Then the other thing that caught my eye was having an “AI conversational agent” in a Dubai library. As the person posting about it observes, well, that’s professional ethics right out the window.

Correction and apologies

In the previous edition of Public Libraries News I managed to make several errors all in less than one sentence about Guille-Allès Library. It’s in Guernsey, not in Jersey. It thus has nothing to do with the current President of Libraries Connected* and thus the reading group mentioned was included entirely on its own excellent merits.

*and yeah I said CILIP in the first edition of this post. This subject is clearly hexed for me.

Changes by local authority

National news

  • 440 library staff jobs cut in East since 2016, figures show, amid warnings of ‘funding crisis’ – ITV. “Across the region, there were 443 fewer staff in 2023, compared to 2016. More than half of these losses were in Essex, where there were 248 fewer library staff. Hertfordshire lost 92 jobs. There are fewer libraries too – 324 in total last year, 10 fewer than in 2016, according to figures from the BBC Shared Data Unit. Northamptonshire lost the most libraries: 16 over the seven years.”
  • CILIP writes to Libraries Minister – CILIP. “”As I’m sure you will recall,” Louis points out, “almost 20 years ago you were a member of the House of Commons Culture, Media, and Sport Committee when it examined the state of Public Libraries in 2004-05. Unfortunately, many of the key findings of this inquiry are still relevant today and we firmly believe that only through sustained support and investment in knowledge managers, information professionals, and librarians—one of our most trusted professions—will we be able to unlock the full potential of services in the creative learning, research, and business sectors. As the libraries minister, you have the opportunity to interpret your superintendence and development responsibilities in far more ambitious ways than your recent predecessors.””
  • Gender Roles and Stereotypes in Children’s Literature: What Can Librarians Do? – Eurolis. Free. “This year’s Seminar is an in-person event at Europe House in London (32 Smith Square, London, SW1P 3EU) on Friday 22nd of November 2024, from 10.00 am to 4.30 pm.”
  • The Guardian view on public libraries: these vital spaces provide much more than books – Guardian Editorial. “Offering everything from coding clubs to company, they are more essential than ever as other services vanish” … “With a new government and a new libraries minister, Chris Bryant, there is an opportunity to reverse the decline caused by 14 years of austerity. One thing libraries don’t need is more words. They need sustained and substantial funding.”
  • Libraries are a boundless resource. We mustn’t let their lights go out – Big Issue. “The normal response when the regular figures come out about UK library closures, or increasingly limited opening hours, is, well, it’s the public purse. The pressure on local authorities is acute, something has to give. And besides, when did you last go into a library? As if that made it all a settled matter. The only useful barometer for library usefulness is your own recent experience of crossing the threshold. I haven’t been into a pub in Glasgow in a month. Shut them all down! “
The first two people who email glenrod6004@xtra.co.nz will receive a free copy of this news book on the Clancarty family, whose current Earl is a campaigner for public libraries in the House of Lords. See here for more details of the book.

More than 180 UK public libraries closed or handed to volunteers since 2016, data shows – Guardian. “Louis Coiffait-Gunn, CEO of the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals, said that the organisation is “deeply concerned but not surprised” about the loss of 2,000 library roles. There is a “worrying trend of de-professionalising the public library workforce”.”

Public libraries in ‘crisis’ as councils cut services – BBC. “More than 180 council-run libraries have either closed or been handed over to volunteer groups in the UK since 2016, BBC analysis has found. More deprived communities were four times more likely to have lost a publicly-funded library in that time, while 2,000 jobs have also been lost.” … “Freedom of Information requests sent to every library authority in the UK and Arts Council England data show the country has lost one in 20 libraries since 2016, either by closing them completely or moving them over to volunteer-run groups.” … “Sunderland went from having 11 libraries in 2016 to just three in 2023, losing 65 staff members in that time.”

“Every time I hear of a library being closed I find it absolutely horrifying. Sometimes people don’t see that, people see cuts and think it’s saving money or people don’t really need it, but I see it as a form of deprivation.”

Michael Rosen

International

Dubai library launches “AI conversational agent”
  • Japan – Ministry to Support Collaboration Between Libraries and Bookstores; Hopes to Promote Reading in Communities Nationwide – Japan News. “The number of bookstores is declining nationwide: there were 10,918 bookstores as of March this year, 4,684 fewer than 10 years ago” … “Examples of such projects are expected to include the introduction of a system that allows users to pick up library books at bookstores and order books from bookstores at libraries.” but also ” It plans to explore solutions to the problem of bookstores being disadvantaged by libraries lending large numbers of popular books.”
  • Norway – Negotiating neutrality and activism in Norwegian public libraries: the case of environmental sustainability – journal of Documentation. “The neutrality of Norwegian public libraries is tied to the libraries’ function as a social meeting place and arena for public debate. While the agenda for sustainable development is perceived as neutral by many of the interview participants, there are ongoing negotiations on how politically charged initiatives should be and whether public conversations on environmental and climate issues need to represent a balance of opinions. “
  • South Africa – Joburg libraries are a place where books go to die – Mail and Guardian. “The closure of the city’s biggest library is a loss to the public, and some of the other libraries are also battling to keep the culture of books alive” [Subscription only]
  • USA – Second Circuit Says Libraries Disincentivize Authors To Write Books By Lending Them For Free – Above the Law. “the final ruling is just incredibly damaging, especially in that it suggests that all libraries are bad for authors and cause them to no longer want to write. I only wish I were joking. Towards the end of the ruling (as we’ll get to below) it says that while having freely lent out books may help the public in the “short-term” the “long-term” consequences would be that “there would be little motivation to produce new works.””
    • Column: Think Again – When libraries go woke – Carillon. “some librarians aren’t content with just providing books to the public. Instead, they want libraries to be centres of social justice activism that are committed to “dismantling systemic oppressive practices.”” … “If libraries keep going woke, they can expect to go broke. Let’s keep the religion of EDI {equality, diversity, inclusion – Ed.] out of our libraries.”
    • This Election Will Determine the Fate of Libraries – Time. “Imagine waking up one day to a targeted smear campaign insinuating that you, a school librarian, are advocating the teaching of anal sex to 11-year-olds. This is exactly what happened to me in 2022 … ” A look at the tactics used to victimise libraries and censor books.
    • Watch: Flood devastates library causing $10m of damage – BBC. “In a post on its website, the library said the building will remain closed “until further notice… while we continue to assess the damage and begin to rebuild”.”

Local news by authority

  • Aberdeen – New library model to create family-friendly spaces and enhance services – Aberdeen Council. “The Future Model and working vision for the Library and Information Services was endorsed today (5 September) by Councillors in the Communities, Housing and Public Protection Committee. “
  • Barnet – Council secures £85,000 to turn overgrown space into library reading garden in Barnet – Harrow Online. Golders Green. ACE funding.
  • Barnsley – Council pledges to continue investing in libraries – Barnsley Chronicle. “However, the Chronicle can reveal that Barnsley’s picture is much different to the national one, with it retaining all 14 of its staffed venues and one self-serve facility. A key arrival during the timeframe has been the creation of the town centre’s purpose-built £5.3m Library @ the Lightbox, which opened in 2019 and effectively began the Glass Works regeneration.” but ““Since 2016, we’ve provided 14 staffed libraries across the borough, in addition to Priory Library offering a self-service option. After consulting with our residents and reviewing our library services, we reduced the opening hours across ten libraries.”
  • Birmingham – Jack Reacher would not exist without Birmingham’s libraries, says writer – Guardian. “In the case of the fictional ex-military action man Jack Reacher, it has emerged he was made in a library in Birmingham. Now many libraries in the city are under threat from closure, prompting Reacher’s creator, the bestselling thriller writer Lee Child, to speak out. The author, who grew up in Birmingham, told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme his 6ft 5in, 250lb protagonist would never have existed without the Second City libraries he visited in his childhood.”
  • Bradford – Author hits out at ‘false economy’ of library cuts – BBC. “how library budget cuts have resulted in closures, job losses and reduced opening hours. BBC research shows Bradford and Calderdale councils have made some of the biggest changes in the country to their library services since 2016. But crime writer Saima Mir, who grew up in Bradford, said cuts to library services were a “false economy” which could leave people with an “educational and emotional gap”.”

“It gave me access to a world I wasn’t encountering every day in life, we’re not going to be able to go into the future and compete with other countries if our children do not have access to stories,””

 Saima Mir
  • Denbighshire – Reverend’s dismay at ‘bonkers’ fine after using Rhyl Library car park – Journal. “Reverend Brenden Bithell said that, on July 30, he mistakenly paid for parking at the adjacent Morfa Hall car park, which is run privately by Smart Parking Ltd. Rhyl Library’s car park is for disabled parking only, and is operated by Denbighshire County Council, which has issued him with a penalty charge notice (PCN) of £50 (or £25 if paid within two weeks)”
  • Devon – Children from deprived area of Devon to get a reading boost from Libraries Unlimited – Devon Air Radio. “Staff at Exmouth Library and the School Literacy Network, with support from Action for Children and HeadsUp, will be working with children who live in the Littleham area with a focus on Littleham Church of England Primary School. “, funding from Budleigh Salterton Literary Festival.
  • Dudley – Lye Library closes for refurbishment – GLL press release. “Lye Library in Stourbridge will be temporarily closing for major refurbishment from Saturday 5 October. The work is expected to take twelve weeks, and the library will reopen in January. VR headsets, IT hublets and improved seating, moveable shelving and new flooring are all being installed thanks to a grant of £144,715 from the government’s Libraries Improvements Fund, administered by Arts Council England.”. Council says ““We’re continuing to build on our ambitions for the library service. Brierley Hill library has recently received a significant £670,000 refurb funded through the UK Government’s Future High Streets Fund and we’re following suit with these plans for Lye”
  • Enfield – Backlash against council’s library closure plans – Enfield Dispatch. “Opposition Conservative councillors submitted a ‘call in’ request in August, but failed to persuade the Labour administration to rethink the decision despite claiming it would contradict the council’s own policies on tackling poverty and inequality. The Tories have since launched a petition against the library closures. Residents reacting with anger to the news included Oliver Coombes, who described it on social media as “a disgraceful proposal””
  • Gloucestershire – Libraries stay open thanks to army of volunteers – BBC. “”We’ve been very lucky in Gloucestershire in terms of the quality of our volunteer teams,” Mr Doherty told the BBC. “Some of those libraries [across the country] that have closed down over the recent years, they’ve first been handed over to the voluntary sector and for one reason or another it hasn’t worked.””
MP for Hackney

“If I were marking the government’s homework I might join others in suggesting we need to see the Programme for Government and a library policy which will define priorities for libraries. I’d also hope they would recognise that for any organisation to exist on single year budgets is asking for them to plan for the short term and to suffer the metaphorical death by a thousand cuts.”

Trisha Ward, former director of Library Services at Libraries NI
  • North Yorkshire – How important are North Yorkshire’s libraries? – BBC. “Steve Bailey speaks to library volunteers across North Yorkshire.”
  • Nottingham – Nottingham City Council to upgrade libraries with £300,000 Call Off Framework – West Bridgford Wire. “The Call Off Framework, set to span four years, will facilitate the procurement of creative design services, specialist library furniture, and installation works across multiple libraries in the city.” … “One of the key projects already identified for the framework is the Arts Council England-funded “Counter Culture” project, which has been awarded a grant of £77,050. In total, the council has forecasted a budget of £222,500, subject to securing additional external funding and internal resources.”
  • Peterborough – Community unites in fight to save local library – BBC. “Woodston Library in Peterborough is part of the list of assets owned by Peterborough City Council that could be sold off to balance its budget deficit. The authority said the list is still under review. On Thursday dozens of residents gathered in the library, on Orchard Street, to sign the petition and think of ideas on how to maximise the building’s usage.”
    • Save Woodston Library – Change.org. The Woodston Library in Peterborough campaign petition. ” We urge the Council to recognise this is a valued local community asset.  The local community want to work with the council to see extended opening times and wider use by the local community.”
  • Reading – Latest on project to add library to Reading council offices – Reading Chronicle. “Arrangements for disabled parking at the new Central Library at the civic offices in Bridge Street have been approved.”
    • Reading Central Library busy despite days being numbered – Reading Chronicle. “Amjad Hussain, 67, from Addington Road said visiting the library is easy, and did not predict that the move would have much of an impact on his usage. He did note that the current library is closed on Wednesdays and Sundays.” … “The council has been criticised for ‘poor maintenance’ of the library building”
  • Richmond – Teddington Library Community Garden receives award for enhancing local environment – Richmond Council. “The awarded funds supported various works in the library community garden, benefiting garden users and the wider community. Over the spring and summer months, the funds have contributed to the purchase of two trellises for climbers and a garden mirror on the back wall, creating a lovely focal point to the garden. Additionally, volunteers have added new planting and created a completely new bed in the middle of the garden. “
  • Sheffield – Libraries at ‘heart of community’ a decade after cuts – BBC. “Ten years after volunteers stepped in to run 16 of Sheffield’s libraries when the council cut £1.6m from the service those in charge say they are thriving. No longer just a place to borrow a book the sites once threatened with closure now offer community services from weighing babies to access to cheap food. Volunteers say the libraries have evolved into community hubs, supporting people with everything from the cost of living to their mental wellbeing.”
    • Artist hopes library mural will get people reading – BBC. “The design – chosen following a public consultation – is being painted by Nicole White on the shutters of Ecclesall Library. Ms White said the mural would celebrate reading as well as highlighting wildlife from the nearby Ecclesall Woods”