Ian Anstice

Editorial

What a week. In seven days that will likely remain in everyone’s memory for life, it started with chief librarians – and frontline staff – arguing vociferously for councils to shut down library services. Boris freaking Johnson then went on television and officially closed the sector for the duration. Whoa.

Then everyone had to get used to the new normal, which included basic precautions not previously seen outside of zombie movies. Those with laptops and jobs they could do at home did so, others did what was necessary at the workplace and then went home. Then came the concept of “furlough” where government give 80% of the salary, the idea of the “shielded” who will have to stay indoors indefinitely and then the need to redeploy staff to other services, prominent amongst them Registrars.

It’s no surprise people were feeling a bit shell-shocked. Several librarians, all of them senior, have confided in me that they’ve never worked so hard before in their lives. Some point out that it’s something there were no plans for this, or case studies, and a bunch has been made up on the fly. It turns out that contingency/scenario planning has not been a strength of government at any level, despite repeated near-miss epidemics in the past. Oh well.

So what will the future bring? In terms of keeping the goodwill of staff, I think the key will be fairness. Walk outs happened in at least one service last week, with more on the cards if things hadn’t changed so much on Monday evening. I can see other such pitfalls for the future and the challenge of management will be to be clear and open with staff. everywhere.

Public libraries will become entirely digital for quite some time. A whole ton of money is going to be spent on e-books and other distance resources that would not have been bought before. Printed books will not be bought in normal quantities for a while. Library staff are taking a crash-course in video rhymetimes, zoom and conferencing. These developments alone will revolutionise the service. Also, nationally, Libraries Connected has discovered it can be an independent voice, which can only be good. And if the Single Digital Presence, or whatever a national libraries website will be called, for libraries doesn’t get off the ground this year then it never will.

And when will libraries reopen? Well, I’m guessing not until Coronavirus is wiped out. Keeping books quarantined for 72 hours after being touched isn’t going to fly (unless we go full closed-access of course, now there’s a thought) and it’s hard to see people, especially children, keeping two metres apart. So not for a few months at least. By that time, society itself may be changed.

So this will be a marathon, not a sprint. The good news is that the sector has shot out from the starting blocks far faster than could reasonably be expected. I look forward to reporting more in the future and have started a list (what else?) here for things that catch my eye.

But whatever the week brings, remember to look after yourself first. These are traumatic times and will not be helped if your ill, with stress or otherwise. Keep well, take care.

National news

• Coronavirus – Public library ideas and responses – Public Libraries News. Lists ideas spotted, useful resources, list of councils deploying staff (as far as is known), items for when considering reopening.

What are the Government doing about those without internet access? Many people in our communities rely on libraries to access the internet, but now those libraries are closing. What measures will the Government bring in to ensure that people can get online, whether for benefit services or to maintain some form of social contact? These are huge demands being placed on the civil service, and I pay tribute to all those public servants throughout our public administration who are working day and night to establish these schemes. They are not often praised, but they are in this situation.

John McDonnell, 24 March, House of Commons.

Kid Normal – E-audiobook now free.

Public Health England did not realise libraries covered books with plastic and so gave the wrong advice. Here’s the correction. https://t.co/C4monQOkiv

— Ian Anstice (@publiclibnews) March 27, 2020

• UK Libchat Monday 6 April: Virtual Libraries – taking our services online – “The chat sessions start with general introductions and then we move on to the discussion topics.  Please add the questions that you would like to discuss below in under 280 characters.””
• W H Smith closes 60% of stores as Johnson shuts shops and libraries – BookSeller. “Johnson’s decision to close libraries comes after Libraries Connected, in a letter to ministers, demanded further action. Although the vast majority of local authorities had already closed all their libraries, as of Monday afternoon, around 22 still had some open according to the organisation. Those that had some buildings still running included Waltham Forest in London, Worcestershire and Sefton, which pointed out in a tweet  to concerned residents over the weekend that “libraries are not amongst the public facilities listed for compulsory closure by the government at the moment”. On Friday, Unison members working at 10 Lambeth libraries walked out, saying they refused to come back to work because of fears over coronavirus. Libraries Connected said authorities had been forced to make the decision whether or not to close based on their own interpretation of government guidance and this was not enough.”

” libraries have been responding to the crisis with innovative ideas and had seen spikes of up to 100% in e-membership in recent days. Other ideas include Facebook Storytime, online book clubs, live streaming activities via social media and rotas of phone calls to regular library users.”

International news

• USA – Internet Archive’s ‘national emergency library’ has over a million books to read right now – CNet. The library has 1.4 million books, all available for immediate loan.
• COVID-19: How One Library is Coping with Being in the Epicenter and How Controlled Digital Lending Can Benefit Libraries – Sirsi Dynix. 1 April. “Director of the American Hospital Association Resource Library, as she shares the experience of her and her team as demands on their library has increased and how they have adapted. Then, hear from Chris Freeland, Director of Open Libraries at Archive.org, as he talks about how to add great electronic content for free.”
• How to Combat COVID-19 Related Misinformation – EveryLibrary. “On Friday, March 20th, The EveryLibrary Institute hosted a webinar on How To Combat COVID-19 Related Misinformation. Now you can watch this webinar at your convenience with this webinar on demand.”
• How to Sanitize Collections in a Pandemic – American Libraries. “The easiest, safest, and most inexpensive disinfectant is time.” … “That also means libraries should plan to stay closed until the risk of public infection is eliminated.”. But if not possible, “Internal hard surfaces, including tabletops, door handles, book drops, and computers, should be professionally cleaned. “
• Macmillan Abandons Library E-book Embargo – Publishers Weekly. “Macmillan’s controversial two-month embargo on new release e-books in public libraries officially kicked in on November 1, 2019, over the strong objections of the library community, which has consistently rejected the embargo as violating a core value of librarianship: equity of access. The embargo policy came just over a year after Macmillan instituted a four month “test” embargo on new release e-books from its Tor imprint. “

Local news by authority

• Aberdeen – Coronavirus: All Aberdeen libraries close as result of outbreak – Press and Journal.
• Bradford – Bradford Council outlines steps to help people stay active – Keighley News.
• Buckinghamshire – Here’s how you can still access Buckinghamshire Library Services online – Bucks Herald.
• Cheshire East – Cheshire East libraries close because of coronavirus risk – Knutsford Guardian.
• Cheshire West and Chester – Coronavirus: Cheshire West Council leader Louise Gittins urges residents to stay at home – Northwich Guardian. “Libraries and Leisure centres have already closed their doors, and some will be re-purposed as hubs for council staff and voluntary organisations supporting the most vulnerable. “
• Coventry – Council closes all but five libraries in Coventry as coronavirus limits staffing – Coventry Observer. ” “Libraries will only be open on the basis of a self-service offer – residents are welcome to come into the library, choose books from the available stock and self-issue using the available equipment.”
• Devon – Good news for readers: Staff aim to provide services differently as libraries across Teignbridge close due to coronavirus – Teignmouth Today.
• East Riding of Yorkshire – East Riding Libraries offering free e-books service – York Press.
• East Sussex – Coronavirus: All East Sussex libraries to close – here’s what happens to your loaned books – Eastbourne Herald.
• Hampshire – 1,800 sign petition to save Kingsclere library – Newbury Today. “The petition – signed by more than 1,800 people – aims to prevent the council from cutting its financial support to the venue. However, the authority admitted it is unlikely to save the library.”
• Hertfordshire / Essex – Herts and Essex county councils close libraries in response to coronavirus – Bishops Stortford Independent.

“Northamptonshire waited until end of day on 23rd March before closing all of its main libraries.  Smaller ones had mostly closed earlier than then because NCC had decided not to staff them and most library support groups felt that their volunteers should not, or could not, offer to open those libraries. The business of each library authority being allowed to make its own decision as per the reply from DCMS to Libraries Connected is yet another example of ‘localism’ not serving libraries well.
At the local level, our community-managed libraries were put in the same position.  They had to decide for themselves whether or not to stay open.  Some were more reluctant to close than others but it seemed that all appreciated that they should not be using volunteers aged over 70.”

Alison Richards, via email

• North Yorkshire – County boosts online library service as branches close temporarily – Scarborough News. “Most community libraries run by other groups or organisations have already closed.”
• Nottingham – Central Library wish list – Dawn of the Unread. Wishes include a human library, digital screen/Tik Tok. library app.
• Salford – Salford celebrates three-year partnership with BookTrust – About Manchester. “This month Salford City Council, working with Salford Libraries, which is part of Salford Community Leisure, celebrates a three-year partnership with BookTrust, the UK’s largest children’s reading charity. This partnership will see BookTrust provide books and resources to the value of £496,392 to Salford communities which are distributed via schools, libraries and healthcare visits.”
• St Helens – Take advantage of digital library service during coronavirus lockdown – St Helens Star.
• Wandsworth – Ravi Govindia, Leader of Wandsworth Council visits new Coronavirus Helpline Hub – Wandsworth Conservatives. “The hub is staffed by 40 members of staff drawn from other service areas including libraries and  electoral services. When he visited this morning, Cllr Govindia heard that staff has already dealt with more than 200 calls in just over 24 hours. “
• Warwickshire – Coronavirus: Warwickshire County Council update for residents – Leamington Observer. “While all Warwickshire Libraries are closed, the county council is reassuring customers that they don’t need to return their library books, and we have extended the loan period for all items currently on loan until the start of July. All fines will be waived so people can keep hold of their books and stay safe at home.”
• Worcestershire – Libraries close under coronavirus guidelines – Express and Star.
• York – Libraries provide book fun online – York Press.

Editorial

There’s never been a week like this before in our lives. I count 171 library services in the UK now fully closed, with many of those remaining open running a reduced service to varying degrees of severity. There are very few left who are aiming to keep all libraries open. I estimate at least a 80% closure rate, and it’s likely to be a lot higher as some services are not updating their websites, I am being cautious in my estimate and the situation is changing very fast. The 60% estimate LC gives below is from a day before mine, to give you an idea.

However, the lack of a firm government directive to close libraries means that at time of writing (5pm on Sunday 22 March) there is no prohibition on councils choosing to keep public libraries open, subject to them following the government advice on social distancing etc. Staff at Lambeth took matters into their own hands, though, and walked out citing a law that makes it illegal to run an unsafe workplace. And, with coronavirus being able to survive for up to 72 hours on surfaces – including on plastic book-jackets – it will be challenging for libraries still open to ensure that they are not, especially as there will be a ton of schoolkids heading their way.

But, look, take care of yourself this week. You cannot be too careful but at the same time take your mind off things for however short a time per day you can. And. above all, keep well.

Click here for a regularly updated list of library services open/closed.

Text of Libraries Connected letter to Government

“Libraries Connected is the sector-led charity for all public library services in England. We are funded by Arts Council England as a Sector Support Organisation.

We note the guidance issued by the government yesterday, which asks various businesses and venues including museums and galleries to close:

On behalf of the public library sector, we are asking that all public libraries in the UK be added to the published list.

Over the past few days, individual local authorities have made decisions about their library services in response to their own interpretation of government guidance. The fast-moving situation has been hard to track, but we estimate that approximately 60% of England’s library services have now completely closed. One library service shared with us the urgent advice they received from a senior clinical lead in their county:

‘I have grave public health concerns regarding the library service remaining open. I have been informed that several aged patients were attending today reading newspapers together in close proximity. This is in clear conflict with government advice on social distancing.  …the mortality associated with Covid-19 spread cannot be overstated. We need to act together, now. Shut the libraries, send your employees home. Now.’

However, the advice to libraries appears to be inconsistent, so many are still operating in a situation that is increasingly confused and alarming for library staff and their communities and puts both groups at risk of infection. This situation will worsen if children, who are not in school, begin to use their local libraries to access computers and other learning resources

Libraries are trusted places which last year welcomed 225 million visits and loaned 175 million books. However, they can no longer operate safely within the government guidelines on social distancing and other Coronavirus control measures. Safety measures that libraries are trying to take are coming under increasing strain due to growing shortages of staff and cleaning supplies.

The very nature of a public library presents serious risks in the current situation, which are very hard (if not impossible) to control.  These critical risks include:

• Circulation of books and materials between people, through lending and browsing. This affects staff, volunteers and library users.
• The very wide cross section of the community who use libraries, including significant numbers of people in the high-risk groups (older people, pregnant women and people with underlying health conditions).
• The expected influx of large numbers of children next week, due to school closures. They will be impossible to segregate from users in high risk groups – including pregnant women.
• The extreme difficulty in enforcing social distancing by users, due to the nature of the modern library, with open plan spaces and furniture designed for social interaction. Many libraries have reported users rearranging furniture back into close groupings after library staff had spaced it out.
• The extreme difficulty in protecting staff and volunteers, as the nature of their role is to provide face to face support. Many libraries no longer have reception desks, as staff now floor walk for better contact with their users.

Libraries have responded to the crisis with energy and innovation, to ensure their communities have digital and remote services. This includes marketing their existing e-book and e-magazine service, with libraries reporting 25% – 100% spikes in e-membership. They are also developing more innovative ideas including Facebook Storytime, online book clubs, live streaming activities via social media and rotas of phone calls to regular library users.

Although buildings have closed, libraries are determined to ensure vulnerable people in their communities are not isolated. Libraries will also have a vital role to play to help support and reconnect communities once the current crisis ends.

We will appreciate a swift response to this request, as many libraries remain open this weekend.

Yours sincerely,

Isobel Hunter, Chief Executive, Libraries Connected

Mark Freeman, President, Libraries Connected”

National news

• Coronavirus: Libraries and museums closing across country – BBC.
• Coronavirus: why are UK schools closing and what does it mean for parents? – Guardian. “With cinemas, museums, theatres and libraries closed, all normal entertainment is ruled out.”
• Covid-19: How Libraries are Responding and How to Implement Books by Mail – SirsiDynix. “Join Eric Keith from SirsiDynix as he reviews how libraries are responding the coronavirus (COVID-19). Then Rick Branham will be reviewing Symphony’s “Books by Mail” feature.” March 25 | 1pm ET / 5pm GMT.
• Libraries Connected calls for ‘clear decision’ from government on library closures – BookSeller.
• Request for government to advise the closure of public libraries – Libraries Connected. “Libraries Connected has today written to government ministers to request that public libraries be added to the list of public venues that the government has asked to close.”5
• Self-isolating? Use your local library’s apps for free audiobooks, ebooks and more – Tech Radar.
• UK coronavirus lockdown plans: What the Government advice means for you – Telegraph / Behind paywall. “Although there is no Government advice to close libraries, some smaller local hubs …”

Local news by authority

• Cheshire East – Cheshire East Council launches coronavirus information hub – Knutsford Guardian. “”This may result in us having to make changes to the way many of our services are delivered ..”
• Cheshire West and Chester – Coronavirus: Cheshire West libraries, community centres and other facilities to close on Friday afternoon – The Standard. “such is the extent of this outbreak and following the advice of Public Health England on social distancing, it is a move we have had to take in order to protect the health of our residents. “
  • Storyhouse to support community during Coronavirus outbreak – Storyhouse. “Storyhouse in Chester is re-opening its entrance lobby to support the local community with food, hot drinks and entertainment during the coronavirus crisis.”
• Cumbria – County libraries to close from today due to coronavirus – News and Star. “A contactless home delivery service is also available to existing customers signed up for the service, and may be extended to others if enough staff and volunteers are available. “
• Durham – Durham County Council closes all leisure centres, libraries, venues and cancels all meetings – Chronicle.
• East Sussex – Coronavirus: All East Sussex libraries to close – here’s what happens to your loaned books – Sussex Express.
• Essex – Libraries across Essex to close in response to coronavirus pandemic – Harwich and Manningtree Standard.
• Gloucestershire – Live Coronavirus updates for Gloucestershire as 104 people in the UK die from coronavirus – Gloucestershire Live. “All 31 libraries run by Gloucestershire County Council will be closed from Monday to stop the spread of the coronavirus”
• Halton – Coronavirus closes the Brindley, libraries and leisure centres – Runcorn and Widnes World.
• Hampshire – Hampshire libraries push digital as all branches close due to coronavirus pandemic – Haslemere Herald. “,,, our Hampshire Libraries Facebook site has lots to explore, including Online Rhymetime and a Digital Reading Group.”
• Herefordshire – Ross Library to close on Friday – Ross Gazette.
• Hertfordshire – Libraries across Herts close for next few days to assess impact of coronavirus pandemic – Herts Advertiser.
• Isle of Wight – All Libraries On The Isle Of Wight Closed – Island Echo.
• Lambeth – Walkout at ten south London libraries over coronavirus safety – Socialist Worker. ““It was a hard decision because we care about our library users,” said one worker who walked out in Brixton. “But we also care about their safety and ours. We don’t have hand sanitiser and there are no wipes for the keyboards and touch screens.””

“In a statement, Lambeth Unison said workers were walking out under Section 44 of the Employment Rights Act 1996. This provides workers with the right to withdraw from and refuse to return to a workplace that is unsafe.”

• Lanarkshire – Every council-run Lanarkshire leisure and cultural venue is shutting during coronavirus crisis – Daily Record.
• Lancashire – Lancashire Libraries, Archives & Museums To Close – Preston Hub. “The closure will come into effect from 5pm on Monday to allow library users the opportunity to get books out before they close. “
• Norfolk – Libraries to close from Saturday to curb coronavirus risk – Lynn News.
• North East Lincolnshire – North East Lincolnshire libraries, leisure centres and sports facilities go into coronavirus shutdown – Grimsby Live.
• Oldham – All the ways Oldham Council will tackle the coronavirus pandemic – including extra body storage and cutting bin collections – Manchester Evening News.
• Oxfordshire – Oxfordshire County Council libraries closed – Banbury Cake.
• Pembrokeshire – Pembrokeshire County Council’s leisure centres and libraries to close from tomorrow (Friday, March 20) – Western Telegraph.
• Perth and Kinross – Culture Perth and Kinross closes all libraries, museums and galleries due to coronavirus outbreak – Daily Record.
• Renfrewshire – Coronavirus: Renfrewshire libraries and pools to close from tonight – Daily Record.
• Rochdale – No more Dippy, food festival cancelled and libraries closed – Rochdale Council’s sweeping changes in response to coronavirus – Manchester Evening News.
• St Helens – Coronavirus: The libraries and leisure centres closing this weekend and what will happen to memberships – Liverpool Echo.
• Sandwell – Coronavirus – Sandwell closes museums, farms and most libraries – Birmingham Live. “A total of 13 libraries have closed, including the mobile service, to ensure that key town centre venues can continue to remain open to the public.”
• Staffordshire – Staffordshire Steps Up Measures As Country Battles Coronavirus Update – Tamworth Informed. “Children’s Centre activities, libraries, the archive and heritage service and many day centres for older people are to close as the county steps up action in the coronavirus battle.”
• Stoke on Trent – Museums, libraries and public toilets close as part of ‘managed and proportionate’ Covid-19 response – Stoke on Trent Council.
• Suffolk – Suffolk Libraries to close until further notice to protect staff and customers during coronavirus outbreak – Bury Free Press. “Overdue book charges have been frozen and return dates have been extended indefinitely, and the eLibrary service, which has around 60,000 items available, is still running.”
• Sunderland – Sunderland Council closes museums and libraries due to coronavirus outbreak – Chronicle.
• Wakefield – Wakefield Council closes leisure centres, libraries and museums, but markets to remain open – Wakefield Express.
• Warwickshire – Coronavirus: All Warwickshire libraries to close by Monday – Leamington Observer. “The mobile library service will also not operate, but the home library deliveries service will be maintained as much as possible for the most vulnerable.”
• West Lothian – Libraries to close in West Lothian temporarily – Daily Record.
• West Sussex – Coronavirus: All West Sussex libraries closed until further notice – Chichester Observer.
• Western Isles – Coronavirus – decision taken to close sport, leisure, libraries, museums across the Western Isles – Stornoway Gazette.
• Wigan – How Wigan libraries could be turned into virtual schools – and all the other ways empty council buildings could be used to aid coronavirus pandemic – Manchester Evening News. “Libraries in Wigan could be repurposed into virtual schools or learning areas when schools close due to the coronavirus, Wigan’s chief executive has said.” … “Wigan announced today that while its libraries will close to the public”
• Wiltshire – Wiltshire Council to shut its libraries and leisure centres – Salisbury Journal.
• Worcestershire – Poet Laureate Simon Armitage in special screening at Redditch Library – Redditch Standard. “Thee screening is part of The Living Knowledge Network, a UK-wide partnership of national and public libraries which Worcestershire libraries will be officially joining next month.”

Editorial

Well, it’s been a surreal week. The news has got worse and worse. As I write this, country after country is closing its borders. Spain is telling its citizens to stay inside and they’re using drones to do it. Austria has just announced it is banning gatherings of more than five people.

Meanwhile, the British Government is moving from its “Do Nothing” stage to its “Wait And See In A Couple Of Weeks” phase. Official policy is that a large part of the population needs to be infected in order to give what is called “herd immunity“. Leaving aside whatever our thoughts are about being called a herd” and the 1%ish death rate of those sacrificing themselves for the others, the vital part of this policy when normally applied (e.g. small pox, polio, measles) is a vaccine. We don’t have a vaccine yet.

In what may be the biggest understatement I have ever made, the government’s relaxed attitude is a bit of a problem for public libraries. While the official policy of “wash your hands” is in action, public services are likely to stay open. Public library workers are employed by councils who appear to be abiding by government advice. Chief librarians are mere employees too. Libraries Connected is made up of chief librarians.

So here are some publicly known facts that will help them while everyone is deciding if following the government advice is sensible or not:

• Those without symptoms are likely not to be contagious, but this is not 100% certain. However, anyone with a new cough, temperature or difficulty in breathing may be. (Source: Government)
• Being with 2 metres of someone can spread the disease. Touching the infected person or something they have touched can spread the disease (Source: Government). “Under most circumstances, the amount of infectious virus on any contaminated surfaces is likely to have decreased significantly by 72 hours.”
• There is a significant estimated death rate of, on average, around 1%, or lower. (Source: Guardian but fairly well known). Worst case scenarios (80% infection rate) is therefore around 500,000 in the UK (source: Evening Standard). This places it as slightly worse than all UK fatalities throughout World War 2, and more than half that of World War One. While that huge number is unlikely in practice, the normal rate for flu for comparison is just 600 (source: Oxford University).
• Risk is increased “in people with weakened immune systems, older people, and those with long-term conditions like diabetes, cancer and chronic lung disease.” (Source: Government)

So what does this translate to in public library terms? Here are some more commonly known facts:

• Books are issued and returned in public libraries. Books have surfaces.
• Self service machines are operated by touch. Touchscreens have surfaces.
• Computers have mice and keyboards, both of which have surfaces. They are often not 2 metres apart from each-other.
• Chairs and tables have surfaces. As do door handles. And toys. And musical instruments. It is hard to 100% be sure you have cleaned a toy. Or a tambourine.
• Wipes are in increasing short supply.
• Older people are a core part of the overall library user base. Public library staff are often older themselves, and are thus more likely to have older relations they need to look after.
• Knit and natter groups, rhymetimes and events normally involve people being under 2 meters of each-other. Knit and natter groups often have older people in them.
• People will sometimes use a public library. or attend events, when they are slightly ill.

Amongst libraries not closing abroad, the following has been noted:

• Waiving of fines
• Promoting of e-resources, especially e-books.
• Removal of toys.
• Ending of all events, weekly or otherwise.
• Returning all books by book-drop or other method.
• Moving PCs and other stations further apart than normal.
• Cancelling books on wheels and other activities likely to involve physical contact with vulnerable groups.

I will not go any further than that. I for one look forward to future communications from the Government, news from library services and information from Libraries Connected with great interest. I have quoted the statement of the latter to me below, in full.

Changes by local authority

• Northamptonshire – Danesholme Library now volunteer.
• Sheffield – £10k given to each library, inc. volunteer.

Coronavirus

“Libraries Connected is closely monitoring the situation and implications for library services. This includes hosting an ongoing discussion between Heads of Library services to share approaches and ways of managing the evolving situation as new NHS and government advice is released. Libraries are developing their emergency planning as part of the wider plans of their local authorities, with a focus on protecting staff and library users. At present, in line with current government advice, libraries are operating business as usual. However, many are now increasing cleaning, especially of surfaces like door handles, touch screens and keyboards. Libraries are also considering how best to protect those who may be more vulnerable, such as running risk assessments on events such as rhyme time or older people’s groups. If staff are unsure what to do in their library, they should ask their Head of Service for advice as the situation evolves.”

Isobel Hunter, Libraries Connected – Statement on LC and Coronavirus

• Australian libraries responding to COVID-19 – ALIA.
• CILIP Coronavirus Information Service – CILIP. ” CILIP cannot provide advice to cover every type of library, information and knowledge service. You should in all cases follow the policy and guidance of your institution alongside that of the NHS and Public Health England.”

“It’s time to call for closure of all public libraries as they are an obvious infection point for the virus Many elderly and vulnerable people use libraries and are at risk , not to mention the safety of staff , and the disease is carried airborne , especially in enclosed spaces. 

Email received

• Coronavirus and libraries: Staying safe and staying relevant – Christian Lauersen. “On Wednesday March 11 2020 at 8.30 pm local time, the Danish Prime Minister, Mette Frederiksen, declared a closure of all non-critical public sector institutions likes schools, kindergartens, universities and libraries for 14 days. Critical functions as police and health care will still be in function. All public sector employees who do not perform critical functions was to be sent home for 14 days. ” … “We need to stick together by being as much apart as possible in times like these. That is also why staff don’t come into work in a closed library but are kept at home.”
• Coronavirus: More universities halt teaching and exams – BBC. “Even if teaching and exams are off, libraries will remain open, say universities “

In line with the announcement by An Taoiseach @LeoVaradkar earlier today, all public libraries will close from today. We apologise for any inconvenience.
Our eServices will still be available, please check https://t.co/PJ8cpymPoM to find out how you can use them

— Libraries Ireland (@LibrariesIre) March 12, 2020

• Coronavirus prompts cancellation of large public events during Shakespeare Week – Leamington Observer. “Lcale public events planned for Shakespeare Week have been cancelled in the wake of coronavirus. The Shakespeare Birthplace Trust (SBT), which organises the annual national celebration of the Bard in primary schools, took the decision in light of growing concern about the potential spread of the disease. While the majority of Shakespeare Week activity will continue as planned in schools, libraries and partner organisations across the country, the following five large scale events, including three in the playwright’s home town, will not take place”
• Coronavirus: Why Britain could be only weeks away from an Italian-style lockdown – Telegraph.
• The Czech Republic declares a state of emergency and closes borders to people from 15 countries hit by the coronavirus – Business Insider. “Gyms, swimming pools, and libraries, among other public spaces, will be closed for at least 30 days.”
• Early Years Classes – temporarily suspended – West Dunbartonshire Council. “Please note that in light of the current COVID-19 situation all early years classes in our libraries have been temporarily suspended between Monday 16th March until Monday 20th April 2020. This includes all Bookbug, Baby Massage, Baby Yoga and Storytime classes. We apologise for any inconvenience. 
• Flexible library staff in Dundee hit out over lack of coronavirus information – Evening Telegraph. “So-called “relief” staff, who are called in to cover full-time librarians on sick leave or holiday, claim they are being left out of the loop. At present, relief workers are not given full access to the organisation’s IT system. This means they have to share log-ins with full-time staff – typically an IT security no-no – and even have to lie to the public if there aren’t permanent staff on shift to operate facilities which require a log-in.”
• How Libraries Are Responding to the Coronavirus Threat and How Your Library Can Prep for Any Crisis – Super Library Marketing.
• Q&A on coronaviruses (COVID-19) – WHO. “It is not certain how long the virus that causes COVID-19 survives on surfaces, but it seems to behave like other coronaviruses. Studies suggest that coronaviruses (including preliminary information on the COVID-19 virus) may persist on surfaces for a few hours or up to several days. This may vary under different conditions (e.g. type of surface, temperature or humidity of the environment).”
• Resources for Libraries on Coronavirus – EveryLibrary.

National news

• Applications for bursary places at our 2020 annual seminar are now open – Libraries Connected. “As part of our commitment to supporting the development of future library leaders, we are offering two sponsored places at our 2020 annual seminar.” … In Warwick in June. Seminar is entitled “Creating Our Story”.
• Baroness Neville-Rolfe: Libraries can provide crucial support for women entrepreneurs – Politics Home. “The British Library has a keen ambition to expand this network to 20 regional Centres by 2023, with an increased emphasis on expanding its business support offering beyond city centres and into towns and other locations across the UK. “
• British Library Leeds plan gets £25m boost – BookSeller. “The British Library’s plan to set up a northern version in Leeds has been given a £25m boost by the government, alongside up to £95m to redevelop its existing Boston Spa site.”
• CILIP Library Management Systems Suppliers Showcase – CILIP. Friday 20 March,
• Councils to increase tax across UK as services are slashed – World Socialist Web Site. “The coming year will see nearly all councils across the UK increasing council tax, according to the annual 2020 State of Local Government Finance report, with one in 10 having to make cuts to essential services because they cannot balance the books.”
• Edmund de Waal takes aim at library closures in British Museum installation – Big Issue. “The striking installation stands up for the importance of libraries while telling the stories of people forced to flee their home countries”
  • Library closures are ‘violent and vile’, says Edmund de Waal – Guardian.
• Gift to libraries celebrates women’s roles in politics – Oban Times. “Scottish publishers 404ink and BHP Comics have teamed up with the Scottish Library and Information Council (SLIC) to donate copies of the graphic novel, We Shall Fight Until We Win, to every secondary school library in the country, including Argyll, the Isles and the Highlands, to mark International Women’s Day last Sunday, March 8.”
• Introducing the DCMS Libraries team – DCMS Libraries. “The Libraries Minister is Caroline Dinenage, the Minister for Digital and Culture. We support her by doing things like preparing briefings to support visits she may make or to inform meetings she has with representatives from across the sector.” … “We also support our ministers in dealing with Parliamentary Questions, correspondence, debates and Freedom of Information requests.” … “Underpinning everything we do, is supporting our Secretary of State (Oliver Dowden) in their duties under the 1964 Public Libraries and Museums Act. They have a duty to superintend, and promote the improvement of council library services. But what does that mean in practice?”

“However, that is only part of our superintendence work. We’re really keen to talk to and visit library services who are at an early stage in considering changes (or are in the process of making changes) to their library service provision. This helps us understand what’s happening but also provides opportunities for councils to ask us any questions.”

DCMS Libraries Team

• Libraries Connected Innovation Network National Gathering 2020 – Eventbrite. “The Library Innovators Network is here to support and connect public library staff across the UK and our National Gathering is a one-day event, designed to allow people to share and to learn from others.” May, Leeds.
• Minecraft ‘loophole’ library of banned journalism – BBC. “A virtual library has been meticulously created to host articles written by journalists which were censored online.”.
• Programme Manager, Children and Young People’s Reading – Reading Agency. “The Reading Agency is looking for an experienced project manager to lead our work with children and young people from disadvantaged communities. “
• Public Lending Right explained – DCMS Libraries. A guide to PLR.
• Spring budget: UK Chancellor announces more funding for IP centres – WIPR. Extra £13m for more Business and IP Centres in public libraries. ““This funding demonstrates that the Government have heard our calls for greater recognition of the vital role that libraries play in helping businesses to innovate and grow,” said Gerald Vernon-Jackson, chair of the LGA’s culture, tourism and sport board,”
• Turning libraries into community hubs ‘to blame for decline’ in use, says Coates – BookSeller. “The use of libraries for community activities rather than just as a repository for books has led to a fall in their use rather than an increase, according to a new report by campaigner Tim Coates. In his newly-published Freckle Report, Coates, a former c.e.o. of Waterstones turned advocate for public libraries in the UK and US, published his recent research and made renewed calls to turn around a service that is in serious decline. But, rather than singling out the cuts in funding regularly blamed for the service’s problems, Coates said it was a lack of books that was to blame and two decades spent turning facilities into community hubs, moving them away from their main purpose.”
• Two new member trustees appointed to Libraries Connected board – Libraries Connected. “Anthony Hopkins, BEM from Merton and Kathryn Harrison from Wakefield. “
• World Book Day smashes Share a Million Stories target – BookSeller. “Hundreds of thousands of children, parents, carers, authors, illustrators, schools, bookshops, libraries, and publishers across the UK and Ireland shared 10-minute stories with 1.5 million stories shared at the time of writing. “

Local news by authority

• Barnet – Barnet libraries: Staff cuts went ‘too far’ and replacement volunteers aren’t checked for criminal records – Ham and High. “Barnet’s cuts to library staff have gone ‘too far’ according to an independent review into the impact of the council’s austerity measures introduced in 2016. ” … “The review found that Barnet’s approach of replacing employees with volunteers had been ‘successful so far’, but that cuts had meant staff hours were ‘quite thinly spread’. It recommended increasing the number of library employees in the short-term, during which time more volunteers could be recruited. “
• Bradford – Council to discuss 1,800 strong petition calling for Keighley Library’s future to be secured – Milford Mercury. ““We collected over 1,800 signatures, which means councillors will discuss the matter for a maximum of 15 minutes after the chairperson of Friends has addressed the Council.” “
• Bristol – Bernardine Evaristo celebrates black writers in Bristol libraries – BBC. “A Booker Prize winner who has chosen her top 20 black British writers is involved in a project that will see works by them available in libraries. Bernardine Evaristo released the list of writers to mark International Women’s Day and books by the authors will be available in Bristol libraries. Words Of Colour organised the scheme in a bid to inspire more BAME people to take up writing as a profession. “
• Bromley – Beckenham Library public survey launched – News in Beckenham. “… a number of local residents, as well as campaign group Save Beckenham Library, have already highlighted concerns in regards to what they describe as the “loaded” nature of some of the survey’s questions. The first question, for example, reads: ‘Given the need for housing and the potential opportunity to develop the Beckenham Library Service, do you support the proposal in principle?’”
• Cheshire West and Chester – Dead Ink publishing workshop at Northwich Library – Northwich Guardian.
• Croydon/Lambeth – The ‘Digital Lounge’ – a Case Study from Upper Norwood Library Hub, London – Community Libraries Network. “… here is a collaborative initiative from the Upper Norwood Library Hub (UNLH) and Caspar Kennerdale who runs a local community business called ClearCommunityWeb in Crystal Palace London.  “
• Essex – ‘We will march to save our libraries’ – Thurrock Gazette. “Campaigners who insist libraries across Essex remain under threat are set to embark on a mammoth march ending at County Hall. Save Our Libraries Essex (SOLE) fears Essex County Council is pushing ahead with a “closure by stealth” of its libraries.”
  • Basildon Council may spend £8,000 on new library books – Southend Standard. “Following the council’s £5,000 funding agreed last year which provided more than 700 books for libraries across the borough, the new proposal will be considered by the housing and communities committee tomorrow. “
  • Take part in Essex Library Services book amnesty this March – Gateway 978. “Have you lost your library card or haven’t had time to return your library books? If something has been holding you back from using your local library, don’t let it worry you anymore”
• Flintshire – Flint Library relaunches after ‘huge’ £360,000 investment – Leader. “The official reopening of Flint Library took place on Thursday, coinciding with Aura Libraries’ celebration of World Book Day. In 2019, Aura secured £300,000 of funding for improvement works at Flint Library through a successful capital grant application to the Welsh Government’s Museums, Archives and Libraries Division (MALD). “
• Hampshire – MP piles on pressure to stop councillor from closing Odiham library – Romsey Advertiser. “More than 100 people signed Mr Jayawardena’s petition in the one month it was running, created after the Gazette launched its Save Our Libraries appeal. “
  • Kingsclere’s oldest resident pleads for library to stay open – Newbury Today. “101-year-old Maisie lives two doors down from the venue”
  • “Library closures are ‘violent’ and ‘vile’, says leading artist” – Basingstoke Gazette. “The leading artist, who has recently opened his own temporary library at the British Museum in London, criticised local authorities for making the “heartbreaking” decision to shut institutions down. His comments come as Hampshire County Council is currently proposing to close ten libraries across the county, including three in the Gazette’s patch. “
• Lancashire – Shortlist revealed for Lancashire Book of the Year – Preston Hub. Libraries strongly involved. “The Lancashire Book of the Year Award is sponsored by UCLan for the 18th year.”
• Northamptonshire – Corby’s community-run Danesholme library starts new chapter – Northamptonshire Telegraph. “The county’s latest library to be handed over into community control has opened its doors to customers for the first time yesterday (Thursday). Volunteers at Danesholme Library in Corby will now take over running the service, initially providing staff for the one-day-a-week opening”
• Northern Ireland – Poet Laureate Simon Armitage to appear at Linen Hall Library next week – Irish News. “”The very existence of the library system is under threat, but libraries still stand at the heart of many communities and for some people are an invaluable aspect of everyday life.”
• Sheffield – Council announces extra £10k funding for every library – Sheffield newsroom. “Sheffield City Council is pleased to announce that every library across the city is set to receive an additional one off cash boost of £10,000. The windfall means that each library, including volunteer-run libraries, will have extra money to spend on what will best meet the needs of their space and to do more for the communities who use them.”
• Shropshire – Mayor enjoys time in Oswestry Library’s new ‘living room’ – Advertizer. Temporary “living room” in library until end of March.
• Staffordshire – Project launches for free pre-used school uniforms – Express and Star. “The first market will take place at The Salvation Army, in Cannock on April 6 and 7, 11am until 2pm, with further sessions taking place at Cannock Library during 2020.”
• Swindon – Special report: Why Swindon’s libraries are bucking the national trend – Swindon Advertiser. “Figures published at the end of last year revealed almost 800 libraries have closed in the UK over the last decade, falling victim to government cost-cutting. But things are different in Swindon, where branch libraries are thriving in community centres. ” … “Currently the branch libraries are open for 15 hours a week, but their services will be extended as more staff and volunteers are recruited. “
• Warrington – New literature festival is to launch – Warrington Worldwide. “Warrington Lit Fest will run at libraries and other community venues from Saturday May 9- Saturday May 16 and will celebrate all things literary in the borough and beyond, from storytelling, performances, creative writing, author visits and more.” … “Warrington Lit Fest is one of many special events taking place throughout the year linking into the initiative and supported by Libraries Connected.”
  • Library club to combat loneliness in men celebrates first birthday – Warrington Worldwide. “Silver Fox Club”: “The club which was launched at Burtonwood Library to help address loneliness and social isolation in older men has now celebrated its first birthday.”
• West Lothian – Reduced opening hours at West Lothian libraries from end of month – Daily Record. “The changes come into effect from Monday, March 30, and will see opening hours reduced, with some libraries closing one day per week and others libraries introducing self-service times.”
• West Sussex – Cut to late opening hours at Worthing Library – Worthing Herald. “The cost-cutting measure was approved by West Sussex County Council last year after consultation with users and was then included in its 2020/21 budget. Worthing’s library in Richmond Road is one of nine in West Sussex where changes to opening hours will be made from Monday April 6. Currently it is open from 9am-7pm Mondays to Fridays, but is set to close an hour earlier during the weekday and shut at 6pm.”

Editorial

The CILIP/Big Issue petition to boost public libraries prior to Budget Day barely managed seven thousand signatures, far fewer than the membership just of CILIP itself. There are several reasons for this including there being no huge coverage of it and, connected to this, no actual energising major crises at the moment outside of Essex, Hampshire and arguably Bradford. The petition also came at a hopefully short-term low point for the organisation with anger at the Cummings article leading to sour grapes and apathy at least on Twitter. But, still, getting that few a number has to hurt and is likely to send completely the wrong message – so get signing it to make it look less embarrassing, you only have until 11 March.

The story of Libraries Unlimited having £38,000 stolen from them by their own finance manager made the news this week. It looks like she was relatively quickly caught but the theft may raise some eyebrows about the dangers inherent in a small charity – for such LU is – running a library service. However, such thefts are of course common in councils, human nature being what it is and it’s common to see larger amounts stolen over longer periods there. So LU gets a pass on this. But there are only three library trusts and with one already hit – well – losing one may well be regarded as a misfortune, to lose two …. we’ll see.

Finally, two good news stories. World Book Day is a lovely annual event for libraries and there will be tons of pro-book things going on nationally, including in many libraries. But the story that pleases me most is the naming of mobile libraries in Lancashire. Not because it’s (excuse me) novel – Orkney got there years ago – but because the names are so amusing. Whoever came up with “The Hardbacks of Notre Van”, for instance, deserves some sort of honour. Perhaps we should start a petition.

Changes by local authority

• Angus – Cuts expected (Angus Alive trust £458k cut).
• Blackpool – 9% increase in new members since going fine-free: 5k new members expected in first year at cost of £6k.
• Devon – £38 stolen from Libraries Unlimited by finance manager.
• Lancashire – £800k on new mobile libraries with names like “Chitty Chitty Book Book” and “The Hardbacks of Notre Van”.
• Stockton on Tees – Central Library may be co-located to save money.
• West Lothian – £80k cuts (opening hours) on top of £50k reduced staffing.
• Western Isles – Cuts expected.
• Wokingham – £720k new Twyford Library.

National news

• Book lovers across Wales set to celebrate World Book Day 2020 – Wales 247. “The Books Council of Wales is inviting schools, bookshops, colleges, libraries, businesses and households to join the largest annual celebration of books and reading in the United Kingdom and Ireland, by taking part in activities and events across Wales and by simply sharing in the pleasure of reading.”
• Libraries play crucial role in communities – Guardian / Letters. “… surely councils should not have to raid other parts of their budget to stop library closures, however “lateral thinking” this might be. In The Case for Support, we called for funding for libraries to be restored to pre-austerity levels, and we are delighted that Libraries Deliver is orchestrating an End Libraries Austerity petition to be delivered to No 10 later this month – we urge people to visit the Libraries Deliver website and add their names.”
• Library crusader Bobby Seagull deliver funding demands to Downing Street – Big Issue. “Bobby Seagull led the way to 10 Downing Street with the library-saving petition signed by more than 7,000 people – and it’s still open”
• Meet Northern writers at libraries in Read Regional campaign – North Yorkshire Council. “Founded by New Writing North in 2008, the campaign is funded by Arts Council England and is produced in partnership by New Writing North, North Yorkshire County Council and 21 other library authorities.”
• Mhairi Black’s drag queen stunt has backfired spectacularly – Spectator. “In the hands of ideologically-inspired teachers and librarians, nothing is off limits in the drive to shock children out of their heteronormative assumptions. “
• Scottish Government pledges £100,000 to new memory group project – Press and Journal. “The Scottish Government has announced a £100,000 award from the public library improvement fund for the creation of “memory groups”. Its is the largest grant the improvement fund has ever paid out and the first time library services have collaborated on a single venture. With an emphasis on social history, the idea behind the innovative wellbeing project is that group members will stir up conversation and build a stronger sense of community.”
• Scottish library cuts: six councils to make savings – Herald. “Edinburgh’s savings plan of more than £300,000 is up in the air as councillors this week dropped plans to cut library opening hours and are to reconsider their long-term plans for staffless libraries. ” … “West Lothian Council plans to reduce hours at libraries from April in a savings package of £130,000. The changes to opening hours will save the council £50,000 by reducing staffing. ” … “A shake-up of Angus Alive, which runs the region’s libraries, is expected to make a £458,000 saving. It is said to have led to the departure of senior figures already.” … “Inverclyde’s £246,000 package of planned savings for next year includes cutting library headquarters support, and removing evening opening of all branch libraries. ” … “Western Isles is the other local authority looking to save on libraries. “

International news

• Denmark/Global – 5 things that will affect The Public Library towards 2030 – Christian Lauersen. Co-locations, meeting places, collections still core, need to measure things not on footfall and issues, need national development.
• Iran – Recreation and Leisure time in Iranian Public Libraries – IFLA.
• Ireland – Libraries: Remarkable places we should cherish – Irish Times. “Less than 20% of Irish people describe themselves as regular users ” … “By almost every single measure we can think of, Irish libraries are remarkable places and something we should cherish and support in every convievable sense.”
• USA – Legislator proposes library oversight panels to prevent drag queen story time events – Jackson Sun. Christian zealots hiding reduction of freedom and increasing bigotry under veil of local choice.
  • Playbrary: A new vision of the neighborhood library – Brookings. ” Across projects, the scientific evidence is mounting: Meeting families in their communities and changing everyday spaces like libraries, bus stops, and supermarkets into learning zones impacts all who visit these spaces. By inviting conversation and playful interaction, “playbraries” transform the “shhhhs” of children’s libraries into vibrant neighborhood hubs infused with the science of learning frequented by an engaged community.”
  • Tibetan New Yorkers Claim Queens Library Exhibit About Tibet Is Chinese Propaganda – Gothamist. “The photo exhibit at the Elmhurst Library is part of an ongoing series called “China Today” organized by an affiliate of the Chinese consulate. The current display, which was installed near the circulation desk on Saturday, shows portraits of everyday Tibetans and sites, including a refurbished monastery and children in a classroom.”

Local news by authority

• Bracknell Forest – Bracknell Forest Libraries host fun activities around World Book Day – Bracknell News.
• Blackpool – Scrapping fines has boosted Blackpool’s libraries – Gazette. “Since the charges were abolished in April last year, there has been a nine per cent increase in the number of people joining libraries. The service is hoping to notch up 5,000 new members by the end of March this year. It is proposed to continue the policy, which was introduced to encourage more people to use the town’s eight libraries, for the next financial year. The loss of income of around £6,000 per year has been covered by the general council budget.”
• Bradford – World Book Day to be celebrated at Silsden Library – Keighley News.
• Devon – Devon finance manager admits £47k charity fraud – BBC. “After moving to Libraries Unlimited, she stole increasing sums of money including £4,688 in January 2019, £12,178 on 11 March and a final sum of £26,659 on 25 March.”
• Durham – Sale of library books at Durham Town Hall – Northern Echo. Withdrawn books.
• Edinburgh – Edinburgh Central Library praised after handing out free sanitary products – Edinburgh Live. “Central Library on George IV Bridge in Edinburgh has partnered with Hey Girls in a bid to end period poverty, earning praise online after they posted a photo showing a display stacked with free tampons and pads on Facebook.”
• Essex – Show of love for beloved Walton Library and staff – Clacton and Frinton Gazette. “The Hands Off Walton Library campaign group was launched after Essex County Council unveiled controversial plans last year to close 25 libraries across the county, while 19 could have been staffed by community groups. “
• Hampshire – Campaigners gather petition to save Blackfield library from cuts – Advertiser and Times. “More than 260 people have signed a petition launched by campaigners hoping to save Blackfield library from closure.”
• Lancashire – Chitty Chitty Book Book – Lancashire mobile library vans get wacky new names – Lancashire Post. “… the book-borrowing public showed their love of a pun when it came to totting up more than 2,000 votes for the winning names. The first three of six new mobile libraries will be called The Borrowers, Chitty Chitty Book Book and the Hardbacks of Notre Van.” … “We’ve invested over £800,000 in these new vehicles which clearly demonstrates our commitment to this service. “
• North Tyneside – Temporary library facilities for Tynemouth – News Guardian. “If plans are approved, the building would be completely rebuilt as a modern hub for the community that could accommodate library and financial services under one roof.”
• North Yorkshire – New Reading Well scheme supports children’s health and wellbeing – Gazette Herald. 16 collections. Library books offer support for South Craven children – Keighley News.
  • Consultation On Future Of North Yorkshire Libraries – Yorkshire Coast Radio. “The new strategy recognises the changes of the past decade and has been developed with partners, volunteers and other stakeholders. It demonstrates the council’s commitment to continue investing in libraries as a community resource able to support its ambitions for North Yorkshire”
  • Young reading volunteers celebrate awards shortlist success – Harrogate News. “The Hacks have also created their own activities, including two successful Lego events enjoyed by more than 50 children. They created a children’s writing competition and overhauled the library shop. This month, they helped to run a day of Harry Potter activities at the library.”
  • Author Sarah Coyle in library visit for World Book Day – Gazette Herald.
• Portsmouth – Hopes that Portsmouth libraries could become ‘welcoming’ community hubs as Southsea site is praised – News. “The work of the ‘modern’ Southsea Library in Palmerston Road was praised by members of the public during a culture scrutiny panel where politicians resolved to use it as a benchmark to enhance less popular sites.”
• Salford – Discover how turning the leaf of a book can boost your health and wellbeing – In Your Area. Book recommendations.
• Stockton – Plans unveiled for Stockton town centre after “massive response” to public consultation – Stockton on Tees Borough Council. “The Council is also proposing to build a new central library, customer service centre and council office on the site, kick-starting its regeneration and saving money as part of plans to consolidate its 10 existing council offices into two.”
• Warrington – LiveWire nominated at the double in Community Leisure UK Awards – Warrington Worldwide. “… redeveloped Great Sankey Neighbourhood Hub and Stockton Heath Library operated by LiveWire have both been nominated for top industry awards. The two facilities, which LiveWire operate on behalf of Warrington Borough Council, are nominated in the ‘Capital Investment’ category at the 2020 Community Leisure UK Awards.” … “Great Sankey Neighbourhood Hub was last month named the first public building in the world to receive the University of Stirling’s Gold Award for Dementia Design”
  • Library exhibitions to raise awareness of LGBT communities – Warrington Guardian. “The exhibitions have been organised as part of a partnership between LiveWire’s community librarians team, Body Positive, a Cheshire-based sexual health charity, and Silver Rainbows, a social network for older LGBT people in the area.”
• West Sussex – March is Wellbeing Month at West Sussex Libraries – District Post.
  • Mid Sussex Reading Challenge 2020 launches – Mid Sussex Times. “People are invited to read 12 books in 2020 following a different theme each month including a banned book, a book under 200 pages long and a prize winning book.”
  • Award nominated author to talk running and swimming at Burgess Hill library – Mid Sussex Times. Alexandra Heminsley.
• Wokingham – Council approves £720,000 for development of new Twyford Library – Maidenhead Advertiser. Behind paywall.
• Worcestershire – Schools, street lights and libraries in Worcestershire to be powered by ‘green energy’ – Droitwich Standard. “The green electricity will be purchased through West Mercia Energy which uses renewable energy sources.”

Editorial

Another week of, on aggregate, good news for libraries. The biggest of these is Bradford, that has gone from wanting to, basically, strip its library service to, rather, keep it all open but with more co-locations and other services coming in.

The last decade has been very much a period of co-locationing libraries with other services in order to both cut costs and maximise footfall, although this has been hidden by the darker news of other more serious cuts. Done right, these locations can be joyous things, with all partners benefitting and places abuzz. Done wrong and it’s hard to find the library in amongst the other services, with the core purpose (free, neutral, access to information, books, study space) being overwhelmed by partner services, some disturbingly commercial in nature.

Changes by local authority

• Bradford – Consultation. No library closures.
• Greenwich – Plumstead Centre Library reopens co-located with leisure centre (£16m development).
• North Tyneside – Tynemouth Library may co-locate with building society.
• Suffolk – Ipswich Library café opens.
• Thurrock – Aveley Library co-located into “community hub”

National news

• The Freckle Report 2020: An analysis of public libraries in the US, UK and Australia (Freckle library reports) – Tim Coates, £92. “This report analyses the historic performance of public library services in the US, UK and Australia. It contains a narrative of the past ten years, showing declines in use and how widely they have occurred. It looks at the performance of different library activities and of different categories of expenditure on libraries. It looks at the use of different reading formats that are available and how much they are used in public libraries compared to the wider reading public. It identifies the purpose of reading in libraries and what influences people to read their books. The report draws conclusions and makes recommendations for improvement. “
• “I’ve seen firsthand what we lose if we don’t invest in libraries” – Big Issue. “The impact of cuts to services like libraries, youth services, culture and sport spreads deep into communities and leaves lasting damage. Dr Emma Davidson has studied the fallout” … “During my research for the Leverhulme Trust on public libraries and austerity, I’ve seen firsthand all that we will lose if disinvestment in public libraries continues. So, what’s so special about a public library? Well, for starters they are a free and accessible community resource – something that is becoming ever more scarce. When working well, they can be a vibrant community hub for education, digital inclusion, workforce development, community engagement and more.”
• Making the Case For Tor Relays in Libraries – Medium. “We don’t pay by the byte, so all that time we are closed is time when library bandwidth is going to waste. So, what to do with all the extra bandwidth? If libraries believe they are public good then it should be utilized instead of being wasted. I advocate that all libraries install a Tor relay in their building.”
• New year, new culture secretary: Oliver Dowden arrives at the DCMS – Museums and Heritage Advisor.
• UK literacy campaign set for launch in city – JMU Journalism. “Liverpool Central Library has been chosen to host the launch of a national campaign to get adults reading. The Quick Reads initiative, established in 2006, enlists six popular authors each year to write an easily accessible book.”
• Saturdays in the library prepared me for Paxman – Big Issue. Bobby Seagull: “Libraries are more than just books, they represent what it means to be truly human. They contain the minds of our ancestors as well as the latest thinking of contemporary minds. We need our libraries, as they are shining beacons of knowledge, sharing and inclusive communities.”

International

• Australia – Playtime with puppies: the Australians reimagining what libraries can lend – Guardian. “Victorians can visit the Stonnington Toy Library, an organisation built and supported by the local community specifically for the entertainment of the inquisitive. Jane O’Connell, its manager, explains that the toy library serves more than 600 families, who can sign up to borrow anything from magnetic building blocks to much-cherished toys from the 1970s.”
  • How public libraries can help: bushfire recovery – Public Libraries Connect. “The ALIA team has been monitoring the situation over several weeks, reporting that libraries have been used as evacuation centres, as refuges for those avoiding smoke, as community hubs where people can access information, and as places families can gain respite. “
• Ireland – President donates 700 books across Dublin’s libraries – Belfast Telegraph. see also Atticus: President Michael D Higgins gifts book of rude poems to library – Times. “The most exciting inclusion, however, is Free Sex Chocolate, a collection of poems and songs by Julian Gough.”
• USA – American Library Association’s $2 Million Shortfall Prompts Demands for Transparency, Reform | ALA Midwinter 2020 – Library Journal. ” by far the biggest and most contentious issue dominating the latter two Council sessions was not the organization’s governance, but its finances: specifically, how and why a shortfall of approximately two million dollars in operating funds occurred; why this information had come as a surprise to councillors and other members; how the organization—and its divisions—can continue to operate without sufficient cash to cover the assets in their names on paper; why assets from the sale of the headquarters building were placed into the endowment despite the shortfall; …”
• New Zealand / Global – ‘Weed in the dead of night’: A librarian shares the secrets of book-culling – Spinoff. “Librarians, let’s stop creeping around in the dead of night, hiding discarded books in the bottom of the bin. We should trust our patrons to understand why weeding is a necessary part of maintaining a healthy collection. Library lovers, let’s agree to trust our librarians. Librarians are trained professionals working to protect, preserve, and enhance their library collections in order to best serve their communities.”

Local news by authority

• Bradford – Chance to have your say over future shape of district’s libraries service – Keighley News. “Bradford Council is seeking people’s views on how they want to see Keighley Library and others evolve in the years ahead. The council said a consultation exercise held over the past 12 months had been a huge success, with more than 3,000 responses received. But it added that the current model for libraries on its own was “not financially sustainable” in the long term. “
  • All 29 of Bradford’s libraries to remain open – but some could be in new buildings – Telegraph and Argus. “Some libraries may easily lend themselves to these uses, however for others it may be necessary to either make property alterations or consider alternative premises. “
  • Bradford libraries to remain in place after budget reprieve – Examiner Live. “All 29 library locations across Bradford are to keep their services, it has been announced.”
  • Libraries are “service – not building” says Council as consultation begins -Ilkley Gazette. “Bradford Council has started a public consultation into the future of its library service, and it says there will be no closures. However the future service in some areas of the district may look very different in the coming years. ” … “The Council says that as well as providing traditional library services, any future service should include “improving health outcomes, tackling poverty, addressing social isolation, assisting people back into employment and helping with school readiness.”
• Bromley – Deal on Libraries – Bromley Borough News. “This issue is no doubt set to rumble on for a while yet. Unite, among others, will continue to see a privately run library network as inherently dangerous, yet Bromley will point to big savings made by using GLL. The strike may have ended, but the debate certainly has not.”
  • Victory for workers in one of the ‘longest running strikes of recent times – Canary. “One of the longest all out, indefinite strikes of recent times” has come to an end. The result has been a victory for workers. This shows that, even against all the odds, an organised group of people can still win big.”
• Essex – Libraries turn a page for the 21st century – Gazette News. “After announcing there would be no closures, council leader David Finch told a meeting he was pleased the consultation had “reinvigorated” the public’s desire and love for libraries. As part of Essex 2020 – a year long, county wide celebration of Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Maths (STEAM) – the council is set to utilise this dual purpose of its libraries. “
• Greenwich – Plumstead Centre Library opens its doors today after multi-million refurbishment – News Shopper. “The Grade II listed building has undergone a 15-month refurbishment to renovate the old Plumstead Library and created a new, modernised one accompanied with a leisure centre, community rooms and a cafe. Described as a “brilliant unifying community space at the heart of Plumstead” with “fantastic new facilities,” a launch event was held to celebrate the official opening of the Plumstead Centre. “
• Hampshire – Number of users at Basingstoke’s closure-threatened libraries go up – Romsey Advertiser. “More than 120,000 people used Chineham or South Ham libraries between April 1, 2018 and March 31, 2019. This is up from 118,000 in 2015-16. This two per cent rise bucks a trend across the rest of the Hampshire, which saw an eight per cent decrease over four years and a 15 per cent decrease since 2017-18. Chineham saw more than 78,000 people use its library last year, making it the busiest of the ten at risk of closure and 21st in total. “
  • Campaigners make a stand against Gosport library closure threat – News. “Elson Library in Gosport held a drop-in session on Tuesday which saw dozens of residents discuss how they use the space and what a lifeline it is to this community. It comes as Hampshire County Council consults on plans to cut 10 libraries or reduce opening hours by a quarter to save money. Veronica Walker, who has lived in Elson all her life, said: ‘It’s not just about losing a library, it’s a community hub, not just for the elderly but for young and children. It would be a great loss.'”
  • Reader’s letter: ‘closing libraries is a retrograde act’ – Hampshire Chronicle. “It’s significant that the consultation (whether genuine or politically tactical) on the future of Hampshire’s library service states that the first of three options which are not being consulted on at this time is: “transfer(ring) Hampshire Libraries to a Trust Model. This is because Trust models are still in their infancy and the County Council would need to be convinced of their resilience and sustainability efore considering Trusts as a potential option.””
• Newham – Drag Queen Story Time event defended by Newham Council after Twitter attacks – Newham Recorder. “Newham Council’s Twitter account saw 1,600 messages in response to a tweet publicising the first of its Drag Queen Story Times in Canning Town Library on February 7. A majority of users attacked the plans, questioning how appropriate the event was, while a few signalled their support. Deputy Mayor and lead member for community neighbourhoods, Cllr Charlene McLean, said: “These special reading events are designed to be fun, capture the imagination of children and get them used to embracing differences in others and treating everyone as equal from an early age. “
• Northamptonshire – Earls Barton Library and Community Centre volunteers celebrate latest chapter – Northamptonshire Telegraph. “Supporters who fought for three years to save Earls Barton’s library cheered as the ribbon was cut marking the opening of the newly-refurbished centre. About 80 people raised their glasses of fizz to welcome the new era of volunteer-run provision which had been under threat after Northamptonshire County Council (NCC) budget cuts.”
• North Tyneside – Revealed: Massive scheme to transform Tynemouth’s tired library – Chronicle Live. “If the plans are approved, the building would be completely rebuilt as a modern hub that could accommodate library and financial services under one roof. The council will continue to operate the library and will partner with Newcastle Building Society to secure the creation of a community branch inside and private apartments could also be created above.”
• North Yorkshire – Malton library introduces read to dogs sessions – Minster FM. “Read2Dogs was launched at Selby library with two rescue dogs from Serbia, who act as therapy dogs with their owners. Malton library has decided to follow suit with Rosie the black Labrador, who is meeting budding readers at a taster session at 10.30am on Wednesday 19 February. “
• Oxfordshire – Banbury library part of new recycle scheme – Banbury Guardian. “Oxfordshire County Council (OCC) is to launch a new trial service to residents with a way to ensure their unwanted small electrical items can be repaired and reused, reducing what the county would otherwise send to waste.”
• Powys – Town libraries may begin to ‘feel the heat’, says councillor – County Times. “Possible cuts to library services in Powys is “a bit alarming” however it is “not a case for Llanidloes to panic,” said a local county councillor. Cllr Gareth Morgan (Liberal Democrat, Llanidloes) said at a town council meeting that other town libraries may begin to “feel the heat” from Powys County Council (PCC). He said: “I’m fairly calm about it at the moment because we are ahead of the game as far as contributing to the overheads are concerned. “
• St Helens – Residents’ views wanted on future of Gamble Building in St Helens town centre – St Helens Reporter. Central Library will move to World of Glass.
• Staffordshire – Volunteers back Staffordshire’s library service – Tamworth Informed. “A report to Staffordshire County Council’s Cabinet says that more than 1,100 volunteers are giving the equivalent of £1.4m worth of time either helping in the 27 Community Managed Libraries, or in one of the 16 larger libraries still directly run by the local authority.”
• Suffolk – New coffee shop welcomes its first customers at Ipswich library – Ipswich Star. “Nikki Hulse, business development manager at Suffolk Libraries said: “We’re very excited to welcome Coffeelink to Ipswich County Library and are proud to be working with such a well-loved and ethical local business. We hope library customers will enjoy this new service and that it’ll also bring new people into the library.”
• Thurrock – Aveley Library set to reopen as part of the new Aveley Community Hub – Your Thurrock. “The hub which includes the library, a café and activities for local residents will open at 10am on Tuesday 18 February at its new home in New Maltings, High Street, Aveley, RM15 4BY after closing the doors on its Purfleet Road building for the last time on Saturday 1 February. It joins the new Aveley Community Hub which will initially open to the public on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 10am to 5pm and Saturdays from 10am to 1pm.”
• Wiltshire – Wiltshire Police will use libraries as bases to work and speak to public – Swindon Advertiser. “Officers and staff will begin using town libraries as ‘touchdown points’ where they can engage with the public in their communities. “