Ian Anstice

• Write about your views on public libraries to the Select Committee on Culture Media and Sport.  Email cmsev@parliament.uk with “library closures” in subject line. Emails stand more chance of being effective if they give your views on (1) “what constitutes a comprehensive and efficient library service for the 21st Century“, (2) to what extent library closures are compatible with the law and the Charteris Report, (3) the impact closures have on communities and (4) the effectiveness of the secretary of state’s powers of intervention.  Deadline: 12th January 2012. NB full details on how to submit your views are here.  More guidance on giving written and verbal evidence is here. 
• Please sign the national petition in support of public libraries.
• Email Justin Tomlinson MP for Swindon about your concerns.  He is the chair of the new All-Party Parliamentary Group for libraries to be launched in December.

News

• Hey girl, I like the library too – Tumblr (USA).  Pictures of Ryan Gosling saying pro-library chat-up lines inc.  “Hey girl, sorry to bother you, but can you tell me classification number for love at first sight?”, “Hey girl, I’ve never had an overdue fine, you know that, don’t you girl?”,  “Hey girl, I forgot my library card, if I gave you my phone number, could you look me up?”.
• Illuminating libraries – Linda Cracknell.  “My latest radio play ‘The Lamp’ goes out on BBC Radio Four on 14th December, and has special status as ‘Play Of The Week’ which means that it will also be available as a podcast from Friday 16th for seven days. It was recorded on location at Perthshire’s charming Library of Innerpeffray at the beginning of November…”
• Kenya camel library – BBC.   Eight amazing pictures of camels, indeed, carrying library books, with commentary.  “The Camel Mobile Library was set up by the government-owned Kenya National Library Service to improve literacy rates in the north-east. Ships of the desert are the best way to travel in the Garissa area, some 400km from the capital, Nairobi.”
• Two-thirds “fail new primary phonics reading check” – BBC.  “The test-run of a new primary school reading check suggests two-thirds of pupils are likely to fail it when it is introduced in England next year. Government statistics show just 32% of the six-year-olds in 300 schools who took the test last summer passed it.”
• Why do people rally to save libraries but not museums –  Open Objects. Fascinating piece with lots of answers inc (1) libraries are seen as more under threat, (2) reading is personal and interactive, museums are passive and instructive (3) people regularly visit libraries, (4) higher staff/public interaction, (5) “libraries have takeaway”, (6) libraries are more used than museums, (7) libraries are part of a person’s identity, libraries are “ours”, (8) impact of library closing has far deeper impact on a community than a museum closing, (9) library free gathering places for all.
• Why library closures are a catastrophe – Times (Caitlin Moran), behind paywall.  “A library in the middle of a community is a cross between an emergency exit, a life-raft and a festival. They are cathedrals of the mind; hospitals of the soul; theme parks of the imagination. On a cold, rainy island, they are the only sheltered public spaces where you are not a consumer, but a citizen instead. A human with a brain and a heart and a desire to be uplifted, rather than a customer with a credit card and an inchoate “need” for “stuff”.”

Changes – 

Devon – Opening of replacement St Thomas Library (Exeter) delayed until at least Feb 2012 as original building to be used as shops. Totnes Library to be relocated to larger building.
Hertfordshire – Petition to save School Library Service. 
Redbridge – Libraries part of Vision Trust since May 2011.  £16,000 from Council (not Trust) for safety  improvements at Wanstead and Woodford Green.
Somerset –  11 branches and 4 mobiles are now safe from closure, following court case.  £1.35m cut in libraries over four years is still, however, in force.
Telford & Wrekin – Dawley library to keep its opening hours due to £3200 p.a. contribution for two years from parish council. 

Local News

• Brent – Council library fight sum doubles in three months – Harrow Observer.   “The authority’s legal costs have rocketed from £70,532 in September to more than £150,000, after it took on the Brent SOS library campaign group all the way to the Court of Appeal. The figures have been uncovered by Sagar Shah, 31, who is setting up his own watch dog organisation called Brent Watch.”
• Conwy – Council plea for views over future of library service – North Wales Weekly News.  “Cllr Geoff Shepherd, town councillor in Llanfairfechan has been behind a 600 name petition to save his local library. Town councillors in the quarry village are confident they have identified a suitable derelict building to move the library into. Ms Jackson said feedback from meetings with councils and community groups would be forwarded to Conwy council cabinet meeting on Tuesday December 13. Representatives from Conwy council agreed to a battle plan over the future of libraries last week. Plans may see libraries in smaller communities moved in to schools or community buildings run by volunteers. They will be open for 15 hours a week and will be given £20,000 towards equipment.
• Darlington – Call for public input as Cockerton Library faces closure – Northern Echo.  “Eight councillors from three different wards are asking for public input into what could be the final chapter of a village library. A public meeting will be held for the 10,000 users of Cockerton library to give their views about the potential closure of the facility because of council cuts.” 
• Devon – Anger over lack of new library – This is Exeter.  St Thomas library delayed as site sold off for shops.  “Planning permission was originally granted for a redevelopment of the site, which resulted in the demolition of the old St Thomas library, on the condition that a new library was provided. But Devon County Council and the developers failed to reach agreement over rent charges, and the deal fell through. As reported in the Echo, the county council is looking for a site to build a new, permanent library.”
• Totnes residents asked for their library ideas – This is South Devon.   “A public consultation is being launched next week to get views from residents in Totnes about what they would like to see in their new library. Last month Devon County Council announced plans to relocate the library to The Mansion in the town because the current library building is too small and unsuitable for the 21st century service the Council wants to provide.” … “”The Mansion will provide one of the most calm and beautiful locations to site a library, with the top floor giving views to complement the added value of books.”
• Gloucestershire – Meeting to discuss ruling on libraries – This is Glos.   “Library campaigners have called a public meeting to discuss the High Court judgement about the county’s service earlier this month.Friends of Gloucestershire Libraries (FOGL) plan to discuss the ruling that stopped Shire Hall’s cuts plan in its tracks.”
• Hertfordshire – Future of Herts School Libraries Service  – Hertfordshire County Council Petition. “We think it is too important and too valuable to close and we are concerned about the lack of notice and consultation on this decision. We ask councillors not to ratify it in December but to please take time to explore alternative funding sources and to see if there is a way to keep providing it.” 
• Kent – Local reviews for libraries – This is Kent.   “It could result in the closure of existing buildings as libraries are forced to share spaces with other agencies such as parish councils. The county council is also exploring the option of handing libraries over to communities to be run by volunteers.”
• Lewisham – Healthier Communities Select Committee – Lewisham Council.   “Overall, Libraries’ performance has been disappointing over the past seven months. This is due in part to the extent, and timing of the changes to the Service. Issues and visits have been adversely affected by the Service-wide staff restructuring which took place simultaneously with the implementation of new technologies and working practises. However, there are signs that performance is beginning to improve and the staff team are fully committed to ensuring that it continues to do so.”  … “It should be noted that Blackheath reopened last August in temporary accommodation while their new centre is being developed. The work is scheduled for completion in October 2012, when full community library provision will resume.”  Charts (below) appear to show that while visitors are recovering, issues are being wiped out – is this the problem with computer system, improperly trained volunteers or a fundamental change from a library into something more similar to a community centre?

 

• Redbridge – Cash boost for library upgrade – Guardian series.  “More than £5,000 will be spent at Wanstead Library and Woodford Green Library improving safety and infrastructure. The money is part of a £130,000 council grant for improvements to open spaces, libraries and recreational facilities across the borough. In total, Vision Redbridge Culture and Leisure will spend around £84,000 on parks, around £30,000 on sports and recreation and over £16,000 on libraries.”
• Somerset – Library cuts reversed in Somerset – BookSeller.   “Somerset County Council has confirmed it is reversing its library cuts programme following the High Court judgement at judicial review in November that it had breached equalities legislation. According to a press report on local news site Yeovil People, the council has confirmed that plans to cut funding for 11 Somerset libraries have now been halted, while opening hours in 23 libraries, reduced by 20% in recent months, will be reinstated. The mobile library service, reduced from six vehicles to two, is also being reinstated. A council spokesman said: “We accept the [High Court] judgement and are working on reinstating services.” However he added: “The council still needs to consider the future funding of the library service in light of the current financial climate and the fact that all other services are being reviewed over the next 18 months, remembering that we were aiming to save £1.35m over three years.”. Quote Yeovil People article offline at time of checking but including words “The council this week confirmed its plans to cut funding for 11 Somerset libraries have been halted and opening hours in 23 libraries – which had been reduced by 20 per cent in recent months – will be reinstated.  The council is also reinstating its mobile library service – which had been reduced from six vehicles to just two.”
• Telford & Wrekin – Council will pay £3,000 to keep Dawley library hours – Shropshire Star.   Dawley Parish Council to pay to keep library at 21 hours per week, rather than proposed cut to 16 hours. 

• Write about your views on public libraries to the Select Committee on Culture Media and Sport.  Email cmsev@parliament.uk with “library closures” in subject line. Emails stand more chance of being effective if they give your views on (1) “what constitutes a comprehensive and efficient library service for the 21st Century“, (2) to what extent library closures are compatible with the law and the Charteris Report, (3) the impact closures have on communities and (4) the effectiveness of the secretary of state’s powers of interviention.  Deadline: 12th January 2012. NB full details on how to submit your views are here.  More guidance on giving written and verbal evidence is here. 
• Please sign the national petition in support of public libraries.
• Email Justin Tomlinson MP for Swindon about your concerns.  He is the chair of the new All-Party Parliamentary Group for libraries to be launched in December.

News

“Caroline Nokes: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport how many county councils charge for the borrowing of audio books from libraries. [84869] Mr Vaizey: The Public Libraries and Museums Act 1964 prevents libraries from charging for the loan of material in a form which is readable without the use of electronic apparatus. Library authorities can therefore lawfully charge to lend audio books and other audio-visual material (music, films etc.).” Hansard: 5th December. [This also, alarmingly, means that there is no protection for ebooks and, indeed, one library authority has already started charging for them – Ed]

“Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport how many (a) museums and art galleries, (b) music teachers and schools, (c) ballet and dance schools, (d) theatres and concert halls, (e) drama schools and (f) libraries he expects to be operational in each of the English regions in each of the next four years. [84492] Mr Vaizey: The Department has not made any estimate of future numbers of museums and art galleries; music teachers and schools; ballet and dance schools; theatre and concert halls; drama schools and libraries.” Hansard, 5th December.  

• Give a child a book for Christmas: the gift is solace and companionship – Independent (Terence Blacker).  “Owning a physical printed book can provide escape, solace and companionship to a child: the right book, given for Christmas, will be remembered down the years. As for those children with no books on the shelves at home, the adult world can provide a simple, lasting gift for Christmas: an end to the destruction of our libraries.”
• To the residents of Simi Valley – Save Santa Clarita Libraries (USA).   “Yes it is privatization ! : “It has not been easy and we’re still waiting to see if the UK is ready yet for the idea of library privatisation,” said its chief executive Brad King, who also admitted the UK apparently is not ready, although LSSI is,… for profits that is….This website was created to show the lack of transparency by our city leaders in Santa Clarita regarding its library privatization and to expose the rushed, almost silent process, by which our libraries were handed over to LSSI by a $19 million contract.”

Changes

Brent – Council has spent £154k on legal costs trying to close librraies.  Cost of redundancy of sacked staff was £258k.
Telford & Wrekin – £330k cut by 2014, parish councils being asked for donations. Cuts in opening hours.
Trafford – 5 (out of 15) – Mobile library service to be stopped (previously to be run by volunteers) and Bowfell and Greatstone libraries to be entirely unstaffed (self-service only), Hale and Old Trafford libraries to be run by volunteers (Old Trafford has 2011 had major refurbishment of children’s library). CDs lending to be stopped.  Ebooks to be introduced. Talking books to become free. 

Local News

• Bath and North East Somerset – Somerset residents to save mobile libraries – BBC.  “Bath and North East Somerset (Banes) Council is proposing to scrap all mobile services from April 2012 as part of its planned £12m spending cuts.But local residents are “shocked” by plans to end the “valuable” service and are campaigning to save it.”
• Brent – Council’s library legal costs double – Press release from Lib Dem group, Brent. “Brent Council has now clocked up legal costs of £154,837.04 as a result of its decision to close half of Brent’s libraries. The sum has more than doubled in the three months since September when the council announced it has spent £70,532.60.  Liberal Democrat group Leader and libraries campaigner Paul Lorber said: “This is a shocking. It is a huge waste of public money which could have been avoided if Cllr Ann John and her fellow Labour councillors had been prepared to act reasonably. They could have sat down with the local community and discussed how best to work in partnership. Instead they chose to force through their plan to axe half our libraries and only the intervention of a judge will make them listen.”In October the council admitted that the cost of sacking library staff and paying redundancy costs was a staggering £258,411.89.”
• Four legged friend joins Kensal Rise library campaign – Harrow Observer.  “A content cat has joined the swathes of local residents fighting to save the library, which is under threat along with five others in the borough. The pet, who is thought to be called ‘Rusty’ and lives on College Road, has been going to the pop-up library every day when its owners to go work, in a bid to keep volunteers warm.”
• Gloucestershire – Briefing note from Public Interest Lawyers: Gloucestershire libraries ruling – FoGL. Excellent legal briefing on the court judgement, too long to summarise here.  “In quashing all relevant decisions, they have been made a nullity.  It is as if the decisions were never made in the first place.  That is the position that prevails now.  In the absence of these decisions, library services in Gloucestershire must be run in accordance with the Council’s previous decisions – as to budget, opening hours, range of services, number of fixed and mobile facilities, ownership etc.This doesn’t of course insulate libraries from future decisions.”
• Hampshire – Public consultation: changes to library opening hours – About My Area.  “Hampshire’s Library Service is holding a public consultation into changes to library opening hours as part of the next phase of its restructure and we would like you to help shape future decisions. Anyone wishing to comment about these proposed changes should do so before the consultation ends on Wednesday 28 December. You can do this online or at your local library.”
• Lewisham – “Catastrophic” plunge in lending at Lewisham’s community libraries – BookSeller. “Lewisham library campaigner Peter Richardson said: “We’re shocked at the paucity of the issues in these community libraries. We were anticipating a drop but such a drop is catastrophic and has implications for the service as a whole. We’re concerned about the two-tier system now extant, which is a breach of the 1964 Act.” 
• Telford & Wrekin – Libraries face cuts to hours – Shropshire Star.  “The borough council is now approaching parish councils for money to bridge the gap but bosses were turned away by councillors in Donnington at a meeting last night after asking for more than £7,000.”
• Trafford – Looking forward: options for the future of Trafford’s libraries – Trafford Council.   Age UK taking over home library service, mobile library to be stopped, Bowfell and Greatstone: “The proposal is to withdraw the staffing from these two libraries and have them on self service all the time. We will ensure that some staff time is spent maintaining the stock and self service machines but there will be no set time when this is done.”.  Hale and Old Trafford: “Trafford Council would still support the organisations by buying and maintaining the stock, maintaining the buildings and providing training to the groups that took on responsibility for the running of the library.”. 
• Council to axe 100 jobs, and replace staff with unpaid volunteers – Manchester Evening News.  “Town hall bosses say they want to put in place a ‘volunteer army’ of unpaid workers to replace staff in areas such as libraries and parks in a bid to save over £16m next year.”.  See comments too.

• Write about your views on public libraries to the Select Committee on Culture Media and Sport.  Email cmsev@parliament.uk with “library closures” in subject line. Emails stand more chance of being effective if they give your views on (1) “what constitutes a comprehensive and efficient library service for the 21st Century“, (2) to what extent library closures are compatible with the law and the Charteris Report, (3) the impact closures have on communities and (4) the effectiveness of the secretary of state’s powers of interviention.  Deadline: 12th January 2012. NB full details on how to submit your views are here.  More guidance on giving written and verbal evidence is here. 
• Please sign the national petition in support of public libraries.
• Email Justin Tomlinson MP for Swindon about your concerns.  He is the chair of the new All-Party Parliamentary Group for libraries to be launched in December.

News

• Cartoon: Who needs libraries – Guardian.   “Trying to compensate for library closures”. 
• Council spends £21,000 on leaflets asking how to save money – Telegraph.  Sheffield sending out 230,000 forms (9p per leaflet) checking up on council services.  ““Is it important to cut the grass in parks on a weekly basis or would it be acceptable to cut them fortnightly, so we can keep libraries open more than we would? “It’s those sorts of choices that we’re expecting people to tell us about.” 
• Head for the library! Libraries are in trouble, but the book trade could help and if you like our Christmas selection … head for the library – Times.  Erica Wagner [Behind paywall].
• National Literacy Trust highlights book-free millions – BBC.   “The proportion of children without books is increasing, the charity said. It is now one in three, compared with one in 10 in 2005…. Poorer children and boys were less likely to have books, it added… That translates to 3.8m children UK-wide.”

• New Lakeshore Library to open this month with untraditional style – Nola (USA).   New building opens in aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.  This one does without (gasp) Dewey.
• We’re still in love with books – Chronicle of Higher Education (USA).  “Contrary to many futuristic projections—even from bibliophiles who, as a group, enjoy melancholy reveries—the recent technological revolution has only deepened the affection that many scholars have for books and libraries, and highlighted the need for the preservation, study, and cherishing of both.”

Local News

• Gloucestershire – County Council leaders consult human rights experts over library closures – Gazette.  “Gloucestershire County Council is currently reviewing its position with regard to libraries and a new consultation and equalities assessment will be carried out in the near future. In the meantime the authority has said it will continue working with community groups who are keen to take over library services themselves.” 
• Leicestershire – Fines waived in bid to get library items back across Leicestershire – This is Leicestershire.   “Sometime in 1998, the children’s book Old Hat, New Hat was taken out of a county library – and 13 years later it still has not been returned. It is one of 161,225 overdue books, DVDs and CDs missing from Leicester and Leicestershire’s libraries.” … “City library members who have not used the service in the past 12 months can return overdue items without facing charges. An earlier city amnesty, held in October, saw £11,200 of fines wiped clean during the seven-day period.”
• Oxfordshire – Compromises on library staff – BookSeller.   “The scheme marks a concession from the council’s earlier proposal, put out to consultation in May, which had proposed that 16 libraries be staffed by only one third council employees. Local campaigner Neil Clark said he welcomed the change. “These are trained librarians. It’s not the sort of work that can easily be taken on by volunteers,” he commented. However fellow campaigner Julia Drown labelled the compromise as just “crumbs”.”
• Southwark – In pictures:  Southwark’s new £14m “super library” – BBC.   Everyone can salivate at these pictures, me included.
• Swindon – Banned from library at tender age of 12 – Swindon Advertiser.  “ALMOST 50 unruly children have been banned from libraries and leisure centres in the town in the past three years.” … “One incident, which happened in a North Swindon library last year, was so bad that the police were called and the three culprits, aged between 14 and 16, were given life-long bans. But, the true picture could actually be much worse as some libraries work with Wiltshire Police to contribute evidence to enable anti-social behaviour orders, which includes being banned from the library, but these are not recorded by the council.”
• Torfaen – Libraries fortnight is a great success – Free Press.   Hundreds of new joiners and many different events to won the right ot be part of the Olympics 2012 Inspire program. “Councillor Lewis Jones, Torfaen Council’s deputy leader, said: “Libraries Fortnight was a huge success and we had a superb response from Torfaen citizens who came out in force to support the diverse programme of events which really showcased the broad range of services on offer in our libraries.”
• Wokingham – Campaigners win pledge to review library “privatisation” – Henley Standard.  “It was agreed that a review would be held after the competitive dialogue process has taken place to take account of public feeling.” … “A decision will be made in the new year whether to proceed with an invitation to tender. The tendering process would take several months. The successful bidder for the contract would be paid annually and its performance would be reviewed regularly.”

“However, any private company to come in on a contract with the council would be looking to make a profit and if it hasn’t the control to close libraries then it will look for other ways to save money. This, I suspect, will mean reducing opening hours, increasing fines and fees and cutting staff wages or staff themselves. Any of these would result in an inferior service. If a company finds that a profit is impossible to make, it will walk away from the contract, leaving the council with an extra financial burden to take over it again.”

• Write about your views on public libraries to the Select Committee on Culture Media and Sport.  Email cmsev@parliament.uk with “library closures” in subject line. Emails stand more chance of being effective if they give your views on (1) “what constitutes a comprehensive and efficient library service for the 21st Century“, (2) to what extent library closures are compatible with the law and the Charteris Report, (3) the impact closures have on communities and (4) the effectiveness of the secretary of state’s powers of interviention.  Deadline: 12th January 2012. NB full details on how to submit your views are here.  More guidance on giving written and verbal evidence is here. 
• Please sign the national petition in support of public libraries.
• Email Justin Tomlinson MP for Swindon about your concerns.  He is the chair of the new All-Party Parliamentary Group for libraries to be launched in December.

News

• Boyd Tonkin: Flagships and hulks – Independent.   Collaboration between booksellers and libraries is starting, promoting the good news about libraries and the new ones opening.  Concerns that such collaboration may be insufficient if more closures mean a confrontation with politicians. Also, danger that big ego-boosting new libraries will have money spent on them while the others are left to rot.

“Beware, especially, every bid to wield those 40 openings as proof that protesters have cried wolf over cuts. In many authorities, the campaigns turn specifically on plans to replace or downgrade local branches in favour of shiny town-centre monuments to municipal pride, located miles from users’ homes.”

• CILIP electon results announced – CILIP.   Keith Wilson, Liz McGettigan, Mike Hosking and Maria Cotera elected.  See what they said about public libraries during the hustings debate here. 
• Coates to launch Bilbary e-book site – BookSeller.  Ex-Waterstones boss and library campaigner Tim Coates has announced an ebook selling/lending enterprise with a bookseller and librarian mix of staff and offer.  Site will charge 25% of book cover price for a 28 day loan [available online, ePub or PDF format – Ed.].  Comments show mixed feelings.

Actions

• Write about your views on public libraries to the Select Committee on Culture Media and Sport.  Email cmsev@parliament.uk with “library closures” in subject line. Emails stand more chance of being effective if they give your views on (1) “what constitutes a comprehensive and efficient library service for the 21st Century“, (2) to what extent library closures are compatible with the law and the Charteris Report, (3) the impact closures have on communities and (4) the effectiveness of the secretary of state’s powers of interviention.  Deadline: 12th January 2012. NB full details on how to submit your views are here.  More guidance on giving written and verbal evidence is here. 
• Please sign the national petition in support of public libraries.
• Email Justin Tomlinson MP for Swindon about your concerns.  He is the chair of the new All-Party Parliamentary Group for libraries to be launched in December.

News

• 1100 jobs to go in Tyneside council spending cuts – Chronicle Live.   Includes coverage of cuts in North Tyneside, Newcastle and Gateshead. “Services are to be slashed back, fees and charges hiked up and some libraries closed down as £85m worth of cuts are announced at three councils.”.
• “Cheers Edinburgh it’s been fun”: Series of mystery book sculptures come to an end – STV.   “An accompanying note read: “‘You need to know when to end a story,’ she thought. Often a good story ends where it begins. This would mean a return to the Poetry Library. The very place where she had left the first of the ten.”  However, only eight of the pro-library/reading artworks have been found. 
• Jeremy Hunt: “The government is committed to championing the public library service” – We Heart Libraries.  Letter sent to Select Committee but standard reply received instead from DCMS, so standard in fact that it answers questions not raised in original letter (e.g. Brent).  ” Somebody at the DCMS either isn’t reading correspondence very thoroughly or doesn’t care either way…”

“The government has shown no commitment whatsoever to championing public libraries. Its attitude is better described as craven and supine in the face of protests in every kind of community from deprived to wealthy, urban to rural, working-class to upper-middle class. It has seen three different authorities taken to judicial review (with more court cases inevitably on the way) and still it has not intervened. How can this possibly be said to represent a commitment to championing public libraries?”

• MPs back Wakefield’s drama library – Wakefield Express.  “A motion has been tabled in parliament calling on the culture secretary to protect a popular music and drama library in Wakefield. MPs in the Midlands, where 80 amateur orchestras and drama groups use the collection at Balne Lane Library, tabled the Early Day Motion last week.”
• Online Information 2011 Day One – Walk You Home.  “We need to go to where our users/audience want to be and take our content to them (and it’s not that much of an effort to do so using a few different platforms); We need to be brave and take risks with social media and communicating with our users online; It can be very worthwhile to set something up and then ask for permission and forgiveness later! (Heck, if Westminster Abbey and the EU are going to take this kind of risk, then surely libraries can too)…” … “Librarians/Information Professionals have the opportunity to position ourselves as experts in the field of information retrieval, fact-checking and democratisation of information. We need to make ourselves useful, sell ourselves and gain recognition for this”
• Privacy of the library patron, and mental illness –  Wordshore.  Examines the great importance of public libraries to those suffering from depression and other mental illness.  Those who think that a pound spent on libraries is a pound lost on social care should read this article.  Good comments too [apart from that useless one near the beginning from me – Ed.]

• Public libraries turn up the volume (literally) – Huffington Post (USA).  Looking at ways libraries are avoiding the “shhh” stereotype.  “A makeover at the Chicago Public Library has turned one room into a teen-heaven, stacking the “YOUMedia” lab on the ground floor with video game systems”. “In the UK, they’ve been cranking up the volume even more. The award-winning Get It Loud In Libraries program has been active since 2005, aiming to showcase up-and-coming bands in libraries across Lancashire. Their mission: to allow “kids from 5 to 65 to check out bands at close quarters in a book clad feelgood venue before they hit the proverbial big time.”  See also Louder libraries for a digital age – Education Week (USA). 
• Public Library News man wins IWR award – Information World Review.   “Presenting the award at Online Information, editor of IWR Peter Williams said: “Ian’s work is a stirring story of how much can be achieved and how knowledge and information really is power. A well deserved winner. I would urge you to go take a look at his work.” [Gosh – Ed.]
• Ian Anstice named as Information Professional of the Year – Voices for the Library.  [Double gosh – Ed.]
• Save the UK libraries? It’s beyond me, admits US guru – Independent.   LSSI: “A slug of judicial reviews and lack of tenders by local authorities, which are nervous of outsourcing their library services to independent providers, were among the reasons cited.”.  Interesting comments. 
• LSSI “revises UK targets” – BookSeller.  Definitive targets not set for UK business, 15% target announced earlier this year now scrapped.
• Should libraries stick to books? – The Star (Canada).  “Toronto’s budget chief questioned Tuesday whether the Toronto Public Library should be in the business of offering popular movies and material not in the English language.”  Calls DVDs and non-English material and becoming a community centre “program creep”.

“I guess it depends what you think a library is,” she said. “A library is no longer a room full of books. It’s the computers where people can come to get jobs, improve their education. Some of the videos are how-to videos. We’ve got the newspapers, we’ve got magazines. We’re working to get more e-books. Doucette said she sees the library as “a hub of a community. It’s a cooling centre in the summer, it’s somewhere you can go in the winter. You go to study. It allows students to do better in school, which gets them better jobs in the long run.”

• Star writers to add “glamour” to library drive – London Evening Standard.  “Despite the closure of many libraries as spending cuts bite, an analysis by the Society of Chief Librarians estimates at least 40 new or significantly refurbished libraries will open next year including the Idea Store at Watney Market in Tower Hamlets. Tony Durcan, the society’s president, said libraries remained a positive service even if their staff were “stressed” by the demand for savings. “Those funding them deserve to see that there is a huge public demand for our reading role,” he said.” … “Joanna Prior, managing director of Penguin’s general division, said: “In 2012, we will stitch libraries into the fabric of our big industry reading promotions, push library membership and help tell a positive PR story about the importance of libraries to a healthy reading nation.”
• Tell Bali Rai what you want to read, and talk, about – Guardian.    “Are you sick of vampires? Do you care about libraries or riots? What are you reading? Booktrust’s new writer in residence Bali Rai wants to know what’s important to you” … “At a time of great uncertainty and change for education and libraries (both school and public) I want to focus on the positive things that are being done to promote reading by Booktrust and others. I also want to highlight the incredible work being done to challenge library closures by campaigners like Alan Gibbons, whose Campaign For The Book I wholeheartedly endorse.”
• Victory for the libraries in the High Court – LeftLion.  Reports on Glos/Somerset court case.  “…raise the question that there is a greater need for libraries to be involved in communities to help support schools in reducing this shameful statistic. Let us not forget that the library is not just about supporting literacy. It’s a place of ideas. The real challenge is getting this across to the public so that it becomes an invaluable commodity.”

Changes

• Angus – New mobile library to replace Edzell library closed in 2010 has been delayed until Jan 2012.
• Conwy – Five under threat.  Abergele, Colwyn Bay, Llandudno and Llanrwst, and a new or refurbished library which would serve the communities of Llandudno Junction, Deganwy and Conwy. Increased opening hours at these branches.  Volunteers are hoped for to take over at Kinmel Bay, Cerrigydrudion, Penmaenmawr, Llanfaifechan and Penrhyn Bay for 15 hours per week opening.
• Cumbria – DVD provision restored to smallest branches. 
• Gateshead – Staffing cuts.
• Hertfordshire – Borehamwood Library gains £12k town council grant to increase hours by 3 per week.
• Neath Port Talbot – £202k bookfund slightly more than in 2010 (£47k less than Welsh standard).
• Newcastle – Opening hours to be cut in 12 libraries, volunteers to be used as staff cuts, increased booksale.
• North Tyneside – Some libraries may close as sites “merge”.  North Shields Central Library closed due to delayed decision on spending for repairs, temporary library set up while service awaits go ahead for £2.7m refurbishment. 
• North Yorkshire – Volunteer group: Boroughbridge Area Community Library Association.
• Southwark – £14m Canada Water library opened. 
• Surrey – Volunteers may no longer be essential for running of Ash, Caterham Hill, Frimley Green, Hersham, Horsley, Knaphill, Lightwater, Shepperton and West Byfleet libraries.  Decision in December 2012. Ten volunteer libraries still to go ahead (Bagshot, Bramley, Byfleet, Ewell Court, Lingfield, New Haw, Stoneleigh, Tattenhams, Virginia Water and Warlingham) will run with at least 20% paid library staffing plus dedicated helpline for library volunteers.

Local News

• Angus – Concerns over library provision – Brechin Advertiser.  Mobile library that replaced Edzell library closed in 2010 has been off the road, the new vans being promised to replace old ones not having been bought with the purchase date now pushed back to January 2012.
• Edzell locals say library promised have turned out to be fiction – Courier.  “”As far as Edzell is concerned, ELAG feel strongly that the village has hardly been treated equitably. Staff hours in Brechin Library amount to 157.75 hours per week, while we have had only two hours per week in a decrepit library van — when it has been able to come — parked outside the A-listed Inglis Memorial Hall.”
• Brent – Pop up library flooded with book donations as community continues campaign to save Kensal Rise Library – Save Kensal Rise Library.   “The pop-up library outside Kensal Rise Library has been flooded with books, as residents continue the campaign. Volunteers are maintaining a presence outside the library every day, symbolising its importance within the community.”
• Monday 5th December: Pub Quiz Fundraiser – Save Kensal Rise Library.  
• Buckinghamshire – Major boost for Little Chalfont Library – Buckinghamshire Examiner.   “The charity entered a competition run by NatWest Bank called CommunityForce. Community Groups and charities registered projects, the public then voted for the project or projects of their choice and the three in each region with the most votes received a cash prize of at least £6000. Little Chalfont Library received £6275 after being named in the top three in the Chiltern region.”

“I would like to thank everybody who voted for our project. We were overwhelmed by the public support that not only gained us a much needed cash prize but also demonstrated the community support for a library that is entirely managed and run by unpaid community volunteers.”

• Calderdale – MP slams council for not consulting over new library  – Halifax Courier.  “… council is risking a huge public backlash by rushing into building a new library in Halifax without fully consulting users, the town’s MP has warned.”.  Lots of comments.  
• FoTL Freedom of Information request – Book buying budget cuts – Friends of Todmorden Library.  Currently waiting for a response according to “What do they know”.  Email sent to author suggest bookfund cut by £150k (100%).
• Camden – Volunteers raise £60,000 to save library – London Evening Standard.  “More than £60,000 has been raised in a week including “around 10″ four-figure pledges and one offer of £35,000. The aim is to raise a £1.2 million endowment fund so that the interest and other money from letting and activities will provide enough to guarantee the future annual income.”
• Conwy – Public libraries might be sited in schools – North Wales Pioneer.  “Schools, community centres and volunteers could be asked to help pitch in with library services. A report to Conwy County Borough Council’s Customers Overview and Scrutiny Comittee today (Wednesday), suggests the council widens its library services from its standard sites to schools and colleges, as suggested by the public.
• Libraries ot be overhauled – Daily Post.   “..after a damning report revealed Conwy Council only achieves six of 14 Welsh Public Library Standards (WPLS), due to poor staffing and inefficient use of floor space.”. 
• School and volunteer idea for libraries – BBC. 
• Croydon – Schools, libraries and hospital all affected by strike action in Croydon –  Croydon Guardian.  “The council expects libraries, including the central library in Katharine Street, Thornton Heath, South Norwood and Bradmore Green to be open but could run a reduced service.”
• Cumbria – DVDs return to smaller Cumbrian libraries – News & Star.   “The u-turn comes following public feedback on the withdrawal of the service around 12 months ago when the county council said it was concentrating on developing it in the larger ones. It has decided to bring the service back, following more than 4,000 responses from the public.”
• Dorset – Hope remains for library supporters – Dorset Echo.   ““Now, at long last, the parliamentary committee which oversees his [Jeremy Hunt’s] department [DCMS] has taken action. It has called for a review of the way in which the minister exercises his powers to safeguard libraries.”Ad Lib is now urging supporters of Dorset’s threatened libraries to have their say in the inquiry by emailing cmsev@parliament.uk to demand that the law is strengthened to protect people in rural areas.”
• Gloucestershire – Peter Arnold: “Closing any our libraries is a sin“ – FoGL.  “To close the door on any one of [our libraries] is a sin, and a blow to our society and to civilisation itself” “Libraries are a great repository of knowledge, and therefore of learning. If you want to know anything about anything you can learn it, with a little help, via your local library, and this is especially so since the introduction of computers”

It was Terry Pratchett who wrote that, “if you want to free an oppressed people, then build a library and leave the door open.” He was right”

• Hertfordshire – Borehamwood library gets grant to extend opening hours – This is Local London.  “It is hoped the extra opening hours will help literacy levels in the area and encourage parents to bring their children to the library to read together.” 
• Neath Port Talbot – Library service turning over a new leaf – This is South Wales.  “Head of partnership and community development Russell Ward said the council spent £202,000 on stock, £47,000 less than required, though it had made small but significant increases to its book fund. Mr Ward said the authority was also taking action to address the matter of staffing.”
• North Tyneside – Plans put on hold yet again – News Guardian.   “Councillors had been asked to approved plans to borrow £2.7m to spend on refurbishing North Shields Central Library and creating a joint service centre.”
• North Yorkshire – Secure future for libraries one step closer after vote – Ripon Gazette.   “LIbraries in Boroughbridge and Masham are one step closer to a secure future after county councillors approved proposals for volunteers to play a part in running the facilities.” … “In Masham the library is set to move from its current home to a room in the community office, where it will be run by the community office staff and team of volunteers with support and some funding from the county council.”
• Northern Ireland – Library cuts “not done deal”: chief executive – Carrick Times.  Greenisland and Whitehead opening hours may be cut but consultation may still stop this. 
• Northumberland – Mobile library service under review – Berwick Advertiser.   “Coun Neil Bradbury, executive member responsible for libraries, said: “We are suggesting some proposed changes to the service, with the ultimate aim of creating a better, and more consistent service for all of its users and safeguarding the long term future of the mobile library service.“We feel there is scope to revise the timetable and make the savings required, without detriment to the service,” he added.”
• Southwark – “Super library” in Southwark opens its doors – BBC.  “The £14m Canada Water Library, opened by Southwark Council, will hold 40,000 books, CDs and films. It will also be host to theatre performances, meetings and evening courses. Council bosses claim the library is the “shape of libraries to come”.

“Our libraries have been well managed over a long period of time and what we’ve managed to do is listen to people. Over 6,000 people said they would rather we did things like reduce hours or use volunteers than close libraries. That was enough people saying libraries were important.”

• Surrey – Plan for more community-run libraries is scrapped – Get Surrey.   “Cllr Hodge said he had listened to people’s views since being elected as leader at the beginning of October, and speaking about the libraries announcements, he said: “I believe this will help those people out in the community who may have some concerns [and] will give us a much better plan going forward.” … “Cllr John Orrick, the Liberal Democrat communities spokesperson on SCC, said: “The Conservative county council has effectively admitted, by their U-turn on the plans for the second tranche of libraries, that the idea is disastrous. They should go further and announce that the whole plan is going to be scrapped.”
• County Council drop second phase of library plan – BBC.  
• Scales back on volunteer-run library plans – BookSeller.  “Hodge referred to the “world [economic] situation” and added “if at times we are being asked at some stage in the future to cut back on what we have already planned we may have to revisit things again”
• Library set for community partnership reprieve? – Elmbridge Today.   “The authority is creating a Strategic Library Network, consisting of council-managed branches and others run by volunteers in “community partnerships”.”
• Improving libraries: temporary closures – Surrey Council.   Woking and Stanwell are being converted to self-service.
• Libraries, include Hersham, win reprieve – Guardian Series.  “Roy Green of Hersham Village Society, who was fiercely fighting the proposals with the Friends of Hersham Library, said it was good news – for the time being. He said: I think we need to tread very carefully because we’ve fought closure for the past 25 years and we think everything is ok and then a few years go by and we have to starts fighting again.”
• Campaigners welcome library u-turn – Guardian Series.   Lib Dems: ““We have argued against two tiers of library, with no second class libraries, and we want professionals at the heart of Surrey’s library network.” …  Comment: “I think that the idea of engaging willing volunteers to supplement professional library staff is good, but it should be grown naturally, with support, and not imposed at the end of a gun-barrel.”
• Wandsworth/Croydon – Councils to hive off library contracts – 24dash.com.  “Bidders are being asked to pitch new ideas on how to improve local libraries and the additional services they could offer – like coffee bars, career advice or online movie streaming.”  Also see if external company/trust can gain more funding.  Wandsworth’s current management is bidding to run both councils’ services.

• Warwickshire – Shipston residents asked to give their views on opening hours – Cotswold journal.  “library consultation is in full swing with more than 1,000 residents expressing their views on the future opening hours of the county’s libraries. So far, the four-week consultation period has attracted almost 700 online survey responses and nearly 500 written survey responses.”
• Whitnash urged to vote in library poll – Courier.   “At Whitnash town council last week, county councillor Bernard Kirton described the consultation as “inconspicuous” while Cllr Tony Heath said it was “offensive” that only 100 forms had been provided. Cllr Siobhan Mulherin said they should be given out at schools and elderly people’s clubs to increase the response.”