News

• About the concept -Cycling for Libraries. “a politically and economically independent international unconference and a bicycle tour. Cycling for libraries is an independent event, not organized by any existing formal organization. It is made possible by a sovereign, international network of library enthusiasts.”
• Alan Bennett: Playwright returns to Leeds school – Yorkshire Evening Post.  “Armley-born playwright Alan Bennett dropped in at Lawnswood School, in Otley Road, Lawnswood, to unveil a plaque that named their library after him. The History Boys writer spoke of his delight at the honour, while re-iterating his statement on the closing of public libraries as being “child abuse”. The 77-year-old told the YEP: “I am happy and very glad to be able to do this particularly at a time when libraries are under threat. “They read books in different ways now and I still read proper books, I don’t read Kindle because aesthetically I prefer it. It doesn’t matter how you read as long as you do read.”
• Best-selling write Julia Donaldson on her bid to get children reading – Daily Record.  “The 63-year-old remembers visiting her local library and being inspired by the books she picked up. Now, as Children’s Laureate, she’s campaigning hard to make sure future generations are still able to visit libraries, which face closure in the face of spending cuts. “They’re especially important for children and their use of libraries has gone up over the last five or six years,” she said.”
• Get it Loud in Libraries –  Music and libraries do go together.  “Get It Loud In Libraries is a unique award winning project – it is the Love Libraries Award 2007 winner-designed to give people, especially young people who love music, a damn good time in a library; libraries across Lancashire if you are someone who cares for the small details.”.  Around four music events per month in (mainly) Lancashire and London.
• Philip Pullman tackles cavalier councils – Bexley Times.  Summary of the author’s library campaign to date.  “I am a citizen as well as a writer, I hope I’d be speaking out whatever job I had,” he says. “What I do for a living gives me a bit of a name so people notice when I speak, but I feel I should do it as a citizen rather than as a writer.”

Changes

Derby – £1.28m library in Chaddesdem building work to start June 2012.  
Trafford – Campaign group: Hands Off Old Trafford Library (H.O.O.T. Library, @hootlibrary, Facebook).

Local News

• Brent – Saturday 10th Carols at Cricklewood Library – Save Kensal Rise Library.  “Wrap up warm and join us at our celebration of the season and of our library. Just turn up on Saturday outside the library – we will be singing a few carols led by Sonja – launching a free ‘pop-up’ library in the  space outside the library – decorating our campaign Christmas Tree with children’s drawings. Includes the launch of Cricklewood ‘pop-up’ library, children’s drawings, seasonal drinks – non-alcoholic punch and other soft drinks available.”
• Croydon / Lambeth – Deal over library not ruled out – This is Croydon.   “Sara Bashford, the council’s cabinet for culture and sport, told Monday’s council meeting: “If they come back with a suggestion that is workable we will look at it.”.  Both sides continue to blame the other for the impending closure of one of the most efficiently run libraries in London.
• Derby – Building date for new £1.28m library – This is Derbyshire.   “Work to build a replacement library in Chaddesden will start in June next year. Derby City Council’s planning committee approved plans for the long-awaited library in May. After several consultations, the authority decided to site the £1.28 million building next to the bowls green in Chaddesden Park.
• Gloucestershire – Have your say on new library service scheme – This is Glos.  “Members of the authority’s cabinet will meet to confirm the details of the draft library plans on January 20. If they agree, a public consultation to gather feedback on the proposals will start soon after. Exact dates and details will be publicised closer to the time, but the consultation is expected to last six weeks.”
• County Council Cabinet snubs libraries meeting – FoGL via Alan Gibbons.   “The email also stated that draft plans are being drawn up now and that the GCC Cabinet will meet to confirm them on 20th January. This seems very rushed, especially given the holiday period. We cannot understand why a meeting to be held only a month before this date could be deemed as “premature”. We feel that Gloucestershire County Council is once again failing to engage with library users and we are extremely concerned, as it was this failure to listen to our concerns about their previous plans that led the Courts to declare them unlawful with a bill of £100,000 for tax payers.”
• Suffolk – Beccles library officer helps thwart internet scam – Norwich Evening News.   “Inquiry officer at the Blyburgate-based library, Nicky Bedwell, helped to stop the website cloning scam after being alerted to it by regular user Hugh Blowers, after he tried to access his friend’s Yorkshire holiday let website.”
• Surrey – New Surrey County Council leader: ‘We must be strong enough to see when we have gone wrong‘ – This is Surrey Today.  “But while many predicted the decision to scrap county-wide proposals for on-street town centre parking charges, few foresaw the decision to reinstate professional part-time workers at libraries threatened with closure.”… “Cllr Hodge added he was aware of what he saw as a vocal minority in the public gallery when “unpopular” decisions were made, but he did not set too much store by them. He added: “You’ve got to accept there are times when people are not happy with a decision you’ve made. “When there was a reaction from the public gallery about libraries, my reaction was those people had a passion and a right to their point of view.”
• Trafford – Looking forward to what?  The threat to Old Trafford Library – Hands off Old Trafford Library (H.O.O.T. Library).   Group objects to council plans for volunteer-run library as (a) in area of multiple deprivation, (b) library staff are friends and neighbours and should not be replaced, (c) not viable or sustainable, (d) choice of Old Trafford for this is arbitrary and unfair.

“Old Trafford has a magnificent tradition of volunteering and community activism. Resident volunteers in this neighbourhood have established many innovative and successful voluntary projects, and we are rightly proud of our countless achievements. However we are also quite clear about the role and purpose of the community and voluntary sector in Old Trafford: it is to complement and enhance the work of statutory services, to improve the quality of life for individuals and communities in our local area. Our role is definitely not to enable employers to make our friends, colleagues and neighbours redundant and replace them with unpaid volunteers.” 

• 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.