1 2 3 Creepy House!
Jul 13th
Editorial
I’ve always loved the excitement and success of the Summer Reading Challenge. Getting kids to shout out its name (it changes every year – Reading Relay, Reading Rollercoaster, this year’s Creepy House) is a special highlight when doing school assemblies. I remember getting in my car after an especially good one and still hearing the kids chanting “Space Hop“. Yes, they were chanting so loudly I could hear it through the wall. It must have driven the teachers mad but we get loads of children coming in and asking to join because of it. We give them stickers, a fold-out poster, freebies like a wristband (glow-in-the-dark this year) and, of course, a certificate and a medal at the end if they read six books over the summer holidays. If you want to see what fun I have them it, this is my school assembly script. It’s fantastic and the best thing that happens in libraries all year. It’s also national, with a 98% take-up by library authorities.
DCMS to consult on abolishing an already abolished libraries body … with resultant changes to the 1964 Act that make libraries statutory
Jul 11th
Editorial
The DCMS abolished the Advisory Council for Libraries for England (ACL-E) in 2011 during the Bonfire of the Quangoes. It’s a shame that they did not check the 1964 Public Libraries and Museums Act at the time which made such a body compulsory and its abolition therefore illegal. When it was pointed out (by a campaigner to the libraries minister Ed Vaizey) that this was so, it became clear that he had not realised what he’d just done wasn’t allowed by the Act. Shortly after, the DCMS appointed a part-time advisor to do the job instead. Sadly, it now turns out that the cost of ACL-E was just £2,500 per year and so cost far less than the advisor appointed to replace them. Oh dear. Furthermore, the DCMS is planning to “consult” on the abolition of the already informally abolished ACL-E shortly and then formally end it next year. This is all fairly unedifying – rushed, with little regard to the Act, expensive and with a side order of dodgy consultations thrown in – but that’s not the important bit. The key here is that such a move would require a change to the 1964 Act that makes “comprehensive and efficient” public libraries statutory. One fears that the DCMS may be tempted to “consult” on other changes to the bothersome (to them) Act at the same time.
In other news, a whole bunch of library campaigners have come together to look at the figures of libraries closed and those under threat and come up with the not unreasonable estimate of 1000 libraries likely to close. They ask for the Minister (the same one behind the ACL episode above so the odds are not good) to intervene. Such a number of closures isn’t exactly going to help people accessing computers for vital Government services and jobs. Keeping with that theme, the Society of Chief Librarians have produced the biggest survey for a decade on library workforce skills which suggests it is a “reality check” to what can be provided with existing training and infrastructure. The chances that the same Minister will intervene to help with that are, again, shall we say, slim. Finally, over in Calgary, it appears that the first thought of many citizens caught in freak flooding was to return their library books. Many are now raising funds for the Library to recover from the storm. If only such energetic action could come from the Government in the UK for the metaphorical storm being experienced here.
Changes
US and UK libraries advocacy compared … and an Ode to the Library
Jul 10th
Sara Wingate-Gray, contributor to recently published e-book “The Global Librarian” was kind enough to send me some of her thoughts on the differences between the UK and US library scene:
I think what’s most interesting to note about some of the main differences between public libraries in the US and UK is the professional level of advocacy and support given to US public librarians and libraries, through, for example, the clout of the American Library Association (ALA): it’s a strong organisation, with a strong brand, which is unafraid to speak its mind on matters of import to its members, and happy to engage in lobbying (as allowed under its 501 (c)(3) non profit organisational status) to get its point across to its constituency.
CILIP gamble on rebranding passes one barrier, at some cost. 6 libraries pass to volunteers, Bury lose nearly a third of their library staff
Jul 9th
Editorial
The CILIP rebranding took another step on Monday with the defeat of a motion to stop it. The vote was close, 804 against and 752 for, showing that CILIP has no great mandate for the change. The vote was also largely decided by proxy as the mood in the room, from most reports, was decidely against the rebranding. Moreover, CILIP have lost some credibility amongst its membership by its reporting of the issue. Those opposing the rebranding were given only minimal space (two paragraphs) in the magazine sent out days before the vote, as opposed to two whole pages in favour. CILIP also took advantage of its mailing lists to email all members arguing for the rebranding – something the opposition simply could not match. So, it seems, that the chiefs of the professional organisation consider the matter so important that it can afford accusations of apparent bias. Let us hope it is so. Reaction from everyone I am in contact with who are not CILIP chiefs has been almost universally negative, with one very senior librarian and several others telling me that their subscription may be cancelled soon. Bridges need to be rebuilt, and quickly.
Other news includes a community buying out its closed library from Tameside Council because they valued it so much. Imagine being willing to pay £30,000 plus an apparent six-figure sum for something that you already effectively owned. That’s how much people care for libraries.
Changes
- Bury – 20.25 of 70 FTE staff to be lost, replaced with self-service machines.
- Dorset – £1.2m new Dorchester Library opens next week (twice current floorspace, inc. classrooms, wifi, Co-located with adult learning centre.
- East Ayrshire – Libraries transferred to East Ayrshire Leisure Trust.
- Gateshead – 5 libraries to volunteers (with separate library card). £900k cut in budget 2013/14.
- Tameside – Dane Bank Library taken over by volunteers: purchase building off council for £30k and “six figure” loan.
Mail somehow uses library rebrand to link librarians with mass murderer
Jul 7th
Editorial
The CILIP rebranding has made the national newspapers with both the Times and the Mail writing pieces. Whatever happens, thankfully, after the vote the word “library” will remain in the name of the professional organisation and then, hopefully, the organisation and librarians can get behind the most powerful brand that we have. That is, as long as we don’t use the Mao link helpfully emphasised by the Mail who, if one didn’t know better, one might suspect as having some sort of agenda against public sector workers. Surely not.
Let’s #lovelibraries while we’re not #saving them
Jul 4th
Editorial
5000 people have signed a petition to save a library in Leigh. This is a quarter of the population of the town, which is amazing and I wish them well. Now, if libraries can harness the power of those people before the library was under threat, that would be truly quite something. The estimable (it means “worthy or respect – I had to look it up) Mick Fortune has pointed out that the “Save Libraries” message should only be used when libraries actually under threat. Because when people say “save x”, the mental switch in their heads moves onward to “x = the siberian tiger and is probably doomed”. It’ll get to “doomed” quickly if they see the message repeated again and again, everywhere. It’s a powerful slogan but needs to be used in extremis only. Of course, with 50% cuts 2010-2016 likely then one could say that all libraries are in extremis. But let’s not jump the gun in those authorities where no-one has reached for the trigger yet. Let’s get people to love libraries as well.
Changes
- Redcar and Cleveland – Skelton Library to close : Service to move into Civic Hall as part of co-located service.
- Wakefield – Stanley Library being refurbished.
Distraction: CILIP and all the news of the last five days.
Jul 3rd
Editorial
I can’t write much about the Umbrella Conference I attended today as website issues have delayed publishing this post enough as it is. One thing, however, I should report is that Annie Mauger, the chief exec of CILIP, told me at lunch that, if the rebranding is allowed to continue after the imminent special meeting then the word “library” will be included in the suggested new name. This name is currently going through legal trademarking but will be unveiled before the AGM and then a vote on it will take place to decide whether to adopt it or stick with “CILIP”.
I haven’t commented much on the rebranding debate because, frankly, I see it as a distraction. To even consider names without the word “library” in makes little sense to a public librarian such as I. Look at the name of this blog: the words “Public Libraries” are in it because that is how we are known. It may not be a perfect brand name to those (and I am one of them) into whizzy new devices and online-with-everything but as far as the public is concerned, it’s the only we’ve got. We should cherish it, promote it and change the meaning of it by our actions if we must but to deny it seems, at least to me, odd. Rather, I would argue we need to be proud of it … and I am glad to note that no matter what happens at least the word will be in the title of the librarians’ professional association. Anyway, with no detriment meant to anyone on either side of the debate (apart from those who have been personally unpleasant to Phil Bradley who need to think about their behaviour) we have other battles to fight other than about our name.
Speaking of which, the sheer number of references to Lincolnshire below shows how important libraries are to their communities. If you’re cutting libraries then there’s going to be publicity, whatever you darn well call them. The public knows what they are, and how important they are too.
Libraries Director Brian Ashley tells it how it is to the Library Campaign
Jun 30th
Brian Ashley
Campaigners were given a rare chance to talk to a senior public libraries figure on Saturday 29th June 2013 when Brian Ashley, the lead for public libraries (and chief of the Midlands region) of Arts Council England kindly agreed to over two hours of questions at a meeting arranged by the Library Campaign. A summary of the meeting is below. The key points I took from it is that there is no hero coming to save libraries, that savage cuts will continue to happen and that the best way for library authorities and campaigners to cope is to be as active as possible if libraries are going to survive.
The information below is taken from notes made at the time and cannot claim to be a verbatim or 100% accurate record of what was said or happened.
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