- Latest
- By authority
- Changes by local authority
- List of UK volunteer libraries
- List of Library Trusts and prospective Library Trusts
- Abolishing fines: UK status
- List of outsourced and prospective outsourced library authorities
- List of Staffless / “Open Plus” Libraries in the United Kingdom and beyond
- Literature Festivals with library involvement
- Options
- Volunteer-run libraries
- 2010-2014: From Community Library to Community-run library: a look at the impact of volunteers
- Pros: reasons for volunteer “community libraries”
- Cons: reasons against volunteer “community libraries”
- Practicalities
- “The reality is very different”: A volunteer library manager speaks
- Are volunteer libraries statutory or non-statutory?
- Four views on volunteer libraries: Sue Charteris, AnneMarie Naylor, Marylyn Haines-Evans of the WI and Ian Anstice
- The Risk Exposures of Volunteer Libraries
- A crude strategy but here to stay: Biddy Casselden on volunteer public libraries in the United Kingdom
- Council assistance for volunteers
- International
- Further reading
- Privatized Libraries / Outsourcing library services
- Trusts
- Efficiencies
- Increasing income
- Volunteer-run libraries
- Why libraries?
- Campaigners
- Consultations
- Meetings
- Conferences
- Minutes of the Library Campaign Conference 22/10/11
- Speak Up For Libraries Conference November 14th 2015
- Old-fashioned libraries are what we need? Thoughts on the Battle of Ideas public libraries debate, 19th October 2014
- Speak Up For Libraries Conference 23rd November 2013
- Speak Up For Libraries Conference, 22 November 2014
- A to Z of Campaigning tactics
- Fundraising
- Legal
- “Suicides, literacy and Space Hoppers”, Politics article 13/6/11
- Archives
- Old lists arranged by UK library service
- What do public library staff do?
- Transcripts of library related programmes
- Guest posts
- Indigenous Knowledge Centres: Queensland Public Libraries finding a niche
- 3D Printers & Maker Spaces
- A Library is not just for Christmas
- The CCC/Tsutaya library miracle in Japan: combined bookshop libraries
- Maker Spaces in Libraries – The state of the art December 2013
- A glimpse of Tokyo library life, by Sue Charteris
- Relative Poverty: A display designed especially for libraries
- Nick Poole on what can we learn from the past to inform the future of public libraries
- A home for the homeless: Rachael Rivera and the Auckland Library Streeties
- Dancing Darth Vaders And Talking To Astronauts: Liam Cookson talks MozFest 2017
- A little less conversation: Nick Poole from CILIP writes about the problems with public libraries and action needed
- The Amazing Grace of Public Libraries (or aromatherapy for local living)
- Angry about cuts to Newport Libraries
- Libraries Taskforce Kathy Settle sets the records straight
- Thema: Graham Bell describes Thema, the new subject classification for the global book industry
- Glossary of common library terms
- LS&S (formally known as LSSI).
- Political
- Carillion and libraries
- Practitioners
- New Libraries
- Promotional techniques and Marketing
- Speed dating and public libraries: Warrington Livewire case study
- “The social aspect of reading”: Fife’s success with food, wizards and comic-cons
- Geocaching and public libraries
- Stock management – A complete beginners guide
- Minecraft in public libraries
- Welcome emails
- Lego in libraries
- Public libraries and social media: as local and as useful as your fingers
- Customer service: welcome the complaints and damn well enjoy yourself
- Fun Palaces in Public Libraries: What, How and Why … the case study of Lambeth
- Dogs in public libraries
- 3D Printers and Maker Spaces in Libraries
- Ideas and innovations in public libraries
- Useful
- About
Contact
Location
The website is British, run by Ian Anstice, a librarian currently based in the Northwest of England.
Non-urgent enquiries
Please email ianlibrarian@live.co.uk if you would like to contact me or have a question about public libraries, have news or corrections. Please note that I work full-time and so cannot easily be contacted in working hours. I normally check at lunchtime and in the evening.
Facebook: Public Libraries News
Twitter: @publiclibnews
Leave a Reply to Ian Anstice Cancel reply
Subscribe
Contact
Please send any news, comment or thoughts to ianlibrarian@live.co.uk.Numbers
From 1st April 2017 to end of March 2018, CIPFA reported 127 libraries lost. Since 1st April 2016 to end of March 2017. CIPFA reported 105 libraries closed, bringing the total to 3745 branches. 2015 to end of March 2016: CIPFA reported 121 libraries closed, bringing the total to 3850 libraries. In 2014/15 there was a decline of 106 public libraries, (with 260 static libraries were put under threat of closure/passing to volunteers. 9 mobile libraries under threat in the same period). .
There were 4023 in 2013/14, 4482 in 2009/10 and 4622 in 2003/4. CIpfa have calculated that 121 service points lost in 2015/16, 106 service points were lost in 2014/15, 49 were lost in 2013/14, 74 were lost in 2012/13, 201 in 2011/12, 33 in 2010/11.
....
The complete list is on "Tally by Local Authority" page as are other changes to budgets such as cuts to hours, bookfund and staffing. ....
For a list of new and refurbished buildings see this page,Recent Posts
- Boris loves libraries and wants to invest in them. But there’s a couple of things he wants to do first …
- Five more years of this? The party manifestos and public libraries.
- Consultation in Bradford and transfer delay in Hertfordshire
- Three national campaigns
- Derbyshire design in a barrier to the customer
Recent Comments
- Frank Daniels on Boris loves libraries and wants to invest in them. But there’s a couple of things he wants to do first …
- Glyn Sutcliffe on Five more years of this? The party manifestos and public libraries.
- Glyn Sutcliffe on Derbyshire design in a barrier to the customer
- Glyn Sutcliffe on Bradford strike, Warrington good news, CILIP and campaigners, and Libraries Connected.
- Glyn Sutcliffe on Bradford strike, Warrington good news, CILIP and campaigners, and Libraries Connected.
Cookies and Thank you
Please also note that this site uses cookies and use of the site presumes an inherent acceptance of this. Thank you.
Warren O'Donoghue of Rabbitdigital Design has been wonderful in designing and creating this website, maintaining it and basically being there for the one hundred and one web problems that seem to surface all the time.
-
Top Posts & Pages
- Ideas and innovations in public libraries
- Arguments against libraries, arguments for libraries
- What are the current issues in libraries? Speak Up For Libraries Workshop: 23rd November
- Key challenges for public libraries and their solutions: library leaders speak
- Lego in libraries
- Stock management - A complete beginners guide
- Pros: reasons for volunteer "community libraries"
- List of Staffless / "Open Plus" Libraries in the United Kingdom and beyond
- Dogs in public libraries
- Statistics


about 6 years ago
Hi there, I’m a student at Goldsmiths’ College and myself and a group are currently in the editing process of a short doc which looks at a volunteer run library in New Cross, London.
I was wondering if you have any photos or videos which you could send me to help with the edit, or know who might be able to. Specifically photos from this post.
https://www.publiclibrariesnews.com/2011/05/goodbye-new-cross-library.html
Best
Angus
about 6 years ago
Hi, I am a memeber of the Birkdale Library Action Group (BLAG) in Southport, Merseyside. Sefton Borough Council voted to close our well-used library later this year. We have however been given until 9th May to write a Business Plan that will indicate how savings can be made to be considered by the Council. We have always wanted to work with a paid librarian plus volunteers. The Unions are saying there are legal issues to replacing paid staff with volunteers. This has never been our intention, we are trying to save jobs. A local Councillor and some members of BLAG are to arrange a meeting with local Union representatives. As we are new to all this, and feel overwhelmed at times, I wonder if you could advise as to how I find out how other libraries overcame this problem. There is a lot of information, but it is difficult to find where to look for this specific information. I hope all this makes sense.
Kind regards
Sylvia
about 6 years ago
You may have supplied the data or seen already, but from today’s Private Eye (Thatcher souvenir issue)
Number Crunching
1- Thatcher memorial library which supporters plan to spend £15M establishing
273 – Public libraries currently estimated to be at risk of closure, in addition to the 326 which have already closed as a result of coalition cuts
Regards
Gary Archer
about 6 years ago
My website concerning Library changes in Calderdale and Halifax.
https://sites.google.com/site/libraryindexmap/home
Regards,
Glyn Sutcliffe
about 6 years ago
Thanks, Glyn, I have added to post tonight and put on the list page under Calderdale.
about 4 years ago
Hello
My name is Sarah Heseltine. I am the UNISON convenor for libraries in Coventry. We have a petition up and running against the closure of all libraries in Coventry. Would you be interested in sharing it? The link is;
http://epetitions.coventry.gov.uk/2015/02/against-library-closure/
Thanks very much
about 4 years ago
Hi
I’m trying to find some technical information re libraries and their catchment areas re local population.
I’m involved with a local campaign to try and move a small branch library 0.2 miles to a bigger building where the library facilities could be vastly improved.
What is the normal way to calculate how many people a library serves ? With our campaign I’ve looked at a map and I believe a move would actually mean the branch library would be closer to more people – but I want to show this using accepted statistical methods.
John
about 3 years ago
A number of public libraries in Oxfordshire have partnership agreements with the County. The purpose of the agreement is, broadly, to set out who is responsible for different aspects related to the operation of the library. Where costs are involved these are identified.
The County has been very clear that, if volunteers are not present when expected then a library may not be able to open. If a friends group organises the volunteers it could be sanctioned for failing to meet the terms of the partnership agreement.
As of last week Library Managers have been told that they cannot call in a temporary/casual member of the library service staff to provide cover due to illness. In that scenario the library will simply remain shut.
Very unclear as to where that leaves the County in terms of keeping its side of the bargain. Not at all good for borrowers and likely to cause a headache for the friends groups that need to coordinate their volunteers.
about 3 years ago
Hello, on 29th June 2016, Darlington Borough Council called time on Crown Street Library, a beautiful library building constructed in 1885 by Arthur and Joseph Pease, a well renowned Quaker family, on behalf of their beloved brother Edward who sadly passed away in 1880. Edward had bequeathed the sum of £10,000 in his will to build a library to educate the poor people of the town, and stated in a covenant, which has been lost by the Council in 1974, that the land which he owned and passed later to the Corporation, that it be used as a library forever. It is the only library in Darlington with a population of almost 100,000 people apart from the small library at Cockerton Village, which has been reprieved until next March. I like John Robinson, who previously messaged you, would like to know the ratio of population to a library? At the moment we have a figure of 7th?, and when the Council installs the reduced service into the Dolphin Leisure Centre, I understand that we will be the lowest in the country? It seems like an unstoppable trend sweeping our country – another reason for isolation breeding ignorance once again.
about 3 years ago
Hi Christine, sorry to hear about Crown Street Library. The ratio of people to one library widely varies depending on what the authority can afford and their strategy. Crewe has only one library (now co-located with a leisure centre) but has 84,000 population. It’s interesting to note that Crewe has had only one library since at least the 1970s so it wasn’t due to recent cuts.
about 3 years ago
Hi Ian! I take your point about Crewe. However in the CIPFA stats I suspect it would come under Cheshire’s provision, or West Cheshire or whatever the funding authority is? Darlington is a Unitary Authority, so this is how the number of libraries provided for our town is poor compared with other funding authorities.
about 3 years ago
I agree I worked in Mauchline library east Ayrshire for over 35 years, it has been moved to a room in the burns museum no bigger than a kitchen, 3 people in it and it is full, I think they would have been better putting the mobile in the car park once a week as it has a better choice of books etc. The old library has been lying empty since beginning of December last year. We have also lost hurl ford, Kilmaurs and catrine last year and more closing next year
about 2 years ago
LSSI is trying to take my Library. I need back ground information. Law Suits and inefficiency, communities un-privatizing.
about 1 year ago
Please note that you have the wrong opening times for this library. Please see Cumbria.gov.uk/libraries for the correct times
about 10 months ago
Dear Administrator,
As part of a further cost saving exercise, Worcestershire County Council has produced a consultation which appears to direct changes to library locations and staff provision along pre-determined lines. I ask your opinion if this is legal with current legislation? I have started a local campaign to challenge this proposed change – link below.
https://www.worcesternews.co.uk/news/regional/worcestershire/17278267.protest-held-at-bewdley-library/