Good luck Glos and Somerset campaigners – 9th November
Nov 4th
Comment
Gloucestershire and Somerset campaigners get their turn in the spotlight next Wednesday, 9th November, when the High Court announces the result of their legal challenge to the library cuts in their areas. This is the day before Brent’s which will be heard at the Court of Appeal. Needless to say, it’s going to be a nerve-wracking few days for some of the most committed library campaigners the country has ever produced (there’s never been such a need before, has there?) and my heart goes out to them. Such legal challenges take an awful lot of work and a terrible amount of fundraising. One really hopes all the cases succeed, first for the campaigners themselves but secondly and most importantly of course for the communities themselves.
A preparatory meeting has been announced for planning a big march for libraries in London in February. There are many groups who could be involved in this -few causes can have such a diverse group of supporters, from all corners of background and political belief – so one would hope for an affair to remember. The media, I am sure, would love the image of a loud shout out for such a supposedly quiet and frail instituion. If all goes well, I’ll be the bald chap brandishing twin datestamps trying to keep up with the hordes marching on Number Ten or the DCMS offices. As someone said a few days ago, you know things are bad when the librarians are protesting.
428 libraries (339 buildings and 89 mobiles) currently under threat or closed/left council control since 1/4/11 out of c.4612 in the UK, complete list below. Librarian professional body CILIP forecasts 600 libraries under threat (inc. 20% of English libraries). The Public Libraries News figure is obtained from counting up all reports about public libraries in the media each day.
Things you can do today
- 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.
- Vote for public libraries to be campaigned on by the highly successful 38 degrees group, you can vote three times.
News
- Campaigners plan London libraries march – BookSeller. “Planning for a London rally in support of libraries will get underway this month, after the idea of holding a day of national action gained favour with campaigners at the Library Campaign conference last month. The demonstration, aimed to put pressure on the government to intervene over library closures, could include a read-in at the Department for Culture, Media and Sport. A march on Downing Street was another option mooted at the conference. The event is likely to take place in February, close to National Library Day, which has already been confirmed for 4th February. The Library Campaign will hold an initial planning meeting on 19th November with other involved parties, including Voices for the Library, which co-organised last month’s conference.”. Includes quotes by Mar Dixon.
“Everyone in education, media and culture should support the call for a national demonstration in support of our libraries. Against an unremitting background of assaults on public and school libraries and School Library Services this can be a rallying point to expose the neglect the service has suffered from many years and a spur to resistance to retrograde and unjustified cuts. In a decade the UK has fallen from seventh to twenty fifth in the international reading rankings (PISA). The thought that our government could preside over the demise of 600 libraries when we are already in something of a crisis is crazy. South Korea is top of those tables and it is building 180 new libraries. We should be expanding not contracting our library provision.” Alan Gibbons on the London Libraries March.
- Elderly people isolated by technological change – Telegraph. WRVS: “A charity report found that older people have trouble getting information about public services, such as details of libraries and public transport, because so much of it is kept online.” …”The closure of community centres, libraries and Post Offices was also causing “anxiety and worry”.”
- Saving libraries but not librarians – Los Angeles Times (USA). Google and internet has mabe librarians defunct in all but specialist roles. Libraries should innovate in other fields but lose their overqualified and overpaid library staff.
- Talks under way to save UK’s biggest music and drama lending library – Guardian. 2400 communications (inc. 200 on paper) received in support of the library. Moves under way to look at how to save the service. Decision to close delayed for around a month while alternatives are sought.
- Uncharted territory – Oisin McGann (Eire). “On the 10th of October, Phil Hogan, the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government, announced that the Library Council (An Chomhairle Leabharlanna) was being dissolved. Bad as this news was for the council, it was a far worse omen for the future of the nation’s libraries. Particularly given the burnt-earth policy that is causing libraries to close all over the UK.”. Excellent article, two quotes from which are below…
“It would be a mistake to label any public library as a mere lender of books, or even one that has expanded to music, films, games and other products. It is more than a drop-in centre for people looking for information on education and training, local services, or for free use of a computer. A library, for me, first and foremost, is one of the few branches of the public service that not only supports everyday life, but enriches it.”
“Think about that for a minute: a publicly-funded, well-resourced place, complete with expert advisors, where a person has room and time to sit and think. A place where you can better yourself, but at your own pace. A place to sit and work out ideas; where someone might study for college, or plan a project, or start a business.”
- WeHo librarian fired: over interview? – WeHo News (USA). West Hollywood library assistant (otherwise known as Standup Librarian) sacked after being interviewed despite having asked permission first.
- Whatever happened to the Big Society? – Regen and Renewal. “Big Society” political agenda well and truly trashed by delegates at Manchester Locality Convention. Civil Servant says public sector cuts are not that big (!) and most voluntary groups don’t need money anyway (!!). Uproar ensues. Good intentions of government undermined by scope and speed of cuts, fear that volunteers will naturally be more available in more prosperous areas.
“The Big Society is simply a bid to replace paid labour with unpaid labour because the government has decided it can’t afford, because of its deficit reduction programme, to pay public servants to deliver crucial services. I warn you, things will get worse for society – because of this government’s choice.” Anne Coote, head of social policy, New Economics Foundation.
- You and Yours – Radio Four. “Why online retailer Amazon has decided to expand its business into publishing..and can US online film specialist Netflix compete with well-established streaming services when it enters the UK market next year?” Includes contribution from Phil Bradley about libraries/ebooks.
Changes
Hartlepool – West View Library to close end of Nov 2011 “saving” £39k p.a. Mobile library offered as alternative.
Northern Ireland – Whitehead Library had £300,000 upgrading in 2010 but is about to have hours cut.
Local News
- Brent – Lies, damn lies and library transformation – Preston Library Campaign. “The information about the 1.5 mile distance that residents would need to travel to a library was provided by the Library Service. An assumption was wrongly made that this meant one of the council’s remaining libraries rather than a library in the vicinity.I’m sorry for the error and have pointed it out to the communications team so that the mistake is not repeated.”.
- Calderdale – “We’d want more details of libary” – Halifax Courier. Worry that proposed new library would not be as suitable or in as good a location as existing building that developers want to knock down.
- Croydon / Lambeth – Little sign of progress in library stalemate – This is Croydon Today. “New ways of saving Upper Norwood Library from closure are likely to be presented to Lambeth councillors by their Croydon counterparts.”. Meanwhile, Croydon and Lambeth councillors trade insults while future of one of the successful and efficient libraries in the country lies in balance.
- Lambeth accuses Croydon of acting “unlawfully” over joint library deal – Streatham Guardian. “in a four page letter to Croydon Council, Lambeth leader Councillor Steve Reed accused Croydon Conservative leader Mike Fisher of “incompetence” and “deception”.He said: “Lambeth has pointed out a catalogue of incompetence, deception and errors in the way Croydon have made this decision that, in our opinion, makes it unlawful.”
- Doncaster – Not so Neet – Save Doncaster Libraries. Nearly one quarter of Doncaster 19-24 year olds are not in education, employment or training. Thereford, “A co-ordinated strategy is crucial and must include areas of the council and external bodies who support education, employment and training. They must work in partnership to alleviate the social problems associated with high Neet levels. Libraries must play a central role; they help people employment, access education as children and adults, and make a significant contribution to careers information, advice and guidance for employability – Doncaster council simply cannot afford to ignore this any longer.”
- Eleventh Hour – Save Doncaster Libraries. Scan of Doncaster Free Press article on temporary delay in closure of Carcroft and Denaby libraries.
- Hartlepool – Library set to close – Peterlee Mail. “Unprecedented cuts in Government grant is resulting in some very tough decisions for the council and regrettably we will not be in a position to fund West View Library beyond December 2011”. Building to be given to community (non-library) group.
- Highland – Second-hand book vans to save on mobile library funds – BBC. “Agreements on four library vehicles leased by Highland Council will end at the end of this financial year. Officers have suggested replacing two of the vehicles with second-hand ones which would be bought for a total cost of £177,000 and last for 10 years.”
- Huddersfield – Library most popular in Yorkshire – Huddersfield Daily Examiner. “…those who use the library in Huddersfield know well that it bats above its weight in terms of service. The staff are helpful and ever creative in thinking of new ways in which to use the building and to get the most out of its resources. The doors have opened to all manner of groups, the library pursues partnerships successfully with many other agencies, puts on a well-attended programme of events and reaches out to other organisations in the town.” … “”Surveys like this one from the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy show that the figures can add up and that our libraries are well-loved, well-used and meeting changing needs. Long may it continue”
- Merton – Petition against popular closure of Donald Hope Library – Peitionbuzz.com. “We, the under-signed, are petitioning Merton Council against the possible closure of Donald Hope Library in Colliers Wood for the following reasons…”
- Northamptonshire – Author’s support for Northamptonshire’s libraries – Northamptonshire Chronicle. Anne Fine – “In front of an audience of 70 people, Mrs Fine talked about how libraries in Northampton had inspired her to become a writer.”… “If one message came out of the meeting it was that libraries were not simply buildings. Instead they served as interactive environments (between users and staff) that nurtured a respect for learning and personal development, and therefore constituted a social good that should be adequately funded and supported by local authorities and not face the threat of cuts.”
- Northern Ireland – Cut to library hours must be reconsidered – Belfast Telegraph. “Surely, given that Whitehead library only re-opened last October after an expenditure of around £300,000, it should be granted protected status? It is now an attractive, well-stocked library, with helpful friendly staff, and it is the cultural focal point of the town. At a time when children are reading less, good libraries are essential. For the sake of the children, Libraries NI must reconsider their plans to downgrade this library so drastically.”
“Sonia Francis-Mills, the Chair of the Friends of York Gardens Library, thanked those who had been involved in setting up the new structure for running the library which means that it is still open, when otherwise it would have closed earlier in the year. But she also noted the continued disappointment that it was this particular library, of the 11 neighbourhood libraries across Wandsworth, that had been marked out for treatment in this way and that there are still major challenges ahead in ensuring that the library can remain open, especially recruiting volunteers, raising awareness and generating enough income to cover the shortfall left by cuts to the council’s budget.” Wandsworth – York Gardens Library reopened – Save York Gardens.
- West Sussex – Cuts planned at home library service for the elderly – Argus. “A fresh round of cuts will “devastate” a library service, according to opposition councillors.” … “Liberal Democrat councillor Bob Smytherman said: “Cutting the mobile service to residential care homes is an appalling idea. “We should be extending the mobile service, not cutting it.”. Volunteers may deliver books instead.
- Worcestershire – Meeting on Pershore Library plans will keep residents in the picture – Evesham Journal. “people have been invited to attend a meeting to keep up the fight for the library to stay in the town centre.The meeting, organised jointly by the county council and the town council, takes place at the Town Hall on Wednesday, November 23, from 7pm.”
Amazon launches a really bad public library
Nov 3rd
Comment
Amazon have launched a highly limited ebook lending service in the USA. You have to pay for it (it’s part of a $79 p.a. package plus cost of Kindle in the first place), can only lend one book at a time (although loan period is unlimited) and none of the biggest six American publishers are supporting it. Yet, such is the power of Amazon (“Soon To Have A Monopoly On Books Near You”) that libraries are worried. However, at the moment, they should not be. Amazon is to be feared for many reasons, but not for starting to do something which libraries do so much better.
428 libraries (339 buildings and 89 mobiles) currently under threat or closed/left council control since 1/4/11 out of c.4612 in the UK, complete list below. Librarian professional body CILIP forecasts 600 libraries under threat (inc. 20% of English libraries). The Public Libraries News figure is obtained from counting up all reports about public libraries in the media each day.
Things you can do today
- 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
- Amazon launches Kindle lending library for US – BookSeller. “Russ Grandinetti, vice-president of Kindle Content, said the move into book lending had followed its recent offer of Prime Instant Video, which offers film and television to Prime members. He said: “We’re excited to expand that investment to books—with this launch, we expect three immediate results: Kindle owners will read even more, publisher revenues will grow, and authors will see larger royalty checks.”. Comments make clear that none of the “Big Six” US publishers have signed up as yet.
- Amazon starts lending books but Head of ALA says libraries still offer best value – Digital Shift (USA). “The Amazon collection, to start, is small at about 5000 titles, and access is limited to those who both own a Kindle device and also subscribe to the Amazon Prime fast shipping and video streaming service, which costs $79 a year.” … “A user can borrow one book a month, with no due date, and any notes or highlights are saved even after the book is returned in case the book is later re-borrowed or purchased. When a new book is borrowed, the previously borrowed title disappears from the device.”
- Axeing region’s vital music library will only create discord – Yorkshire Post. Long letter showing how terrible the closure of specialist library would be. “It has helped launch the careers of thousands of professional musicians during their preparatory years of learning and exploration. We cannot allow this national resource to be stopped because it is not considered cost effective to be moved to the new library facility planned for YLI.”
- Espresso Print-on-Demand book machines making inroads at public libraries – Digital Shift (USA). “Patrons will be able to print books on demand for a fee—in the range of about $8 to $12 for a 200-page book. The EBM’s database, EspressNet, currently includes some four million public-domain titles—including many from Google Books—as well as 2.8 million in-copyright works from publishers, with more on the way. (SPL licenses the database at a cost of $25,000.)”. However, machines cost $151k each.
- Libray usage: worse to come unless councils change course – Voices for the Library. “These figures are particularly significant as in the previous years library issues had remained stable. In fact, both 2008/9 and 2009/10 saw higher book issues than in 2007/8. So, after two years of stabilisation (if not slight growth), why has there been a sudden drop in book issues now? The answer is, of course, obvious. Since the 2009/10 figures were reported, there has been a steady and determined assault on our public libraries.”
- Library usage falls as branches close – Guardian. “”The great scandal is that opening hours are being slashed to ribbons,” said library campaigner and twice Carnegie-shortlisted author Alan Gibbons. “If communities don’t know when a library is open how can adults and kids use them? When councillors reduce opening hours they are starting a self-fulfilling spiral of decline. The main responsibility for this is the dismal failure of leadership at the DCMS.”. Article largely follows Alan Gibbons while, strangely, giving prominence to the relatively small number of libraries closed.
- Library campaigners: CIPFA stats “will get worse” – BookSeller. ““These figures are really for the period before the major cuts started. We have a very serious situation. People within the profession are totally demoralised.” However, he added: “It doesn’t have to be like this. The sector desperately lacks leadership. We need advocacy. Several successful authorities have been bucking the trend – it can be done.”
- UK library visits fall by 7.5 million – BBC. Summarises the more depressing aspects of the CIPFA figures, also mentions Brent. “Meanwhile, figures from Nielsen BookScan data suggest that sales of printed books in October fell 7% from the same month last year.”
“No brownie points for the DCMS however. The government is running down the service at an alarming rate. It is using the spurious cover of ‘localism’ to drive what is in reality a centralist agenda. Cut funding, refuse to intervene to implement the 1964 Libraries Act then throw up your hands and whine that it is your local council that is responsible. Politically quite clever in a Machiavellian kind of way and morally indefensible. The British public deserves better. You get what you pay for” – Alan Gibbons
- Should we close our libraries? – AM1150 (Canada). “So far this year 428 libraries have been closed or are facing closure in the U-K but here in B-C it’s a different story. While we haven’t shut any libraries down the debate rages on whether libraries and books are still being used, or whether it’s moved to the digital age.” … “There has been no move by the Canadian government to show they are planning on shutting libraries, but the closures in the U-K but be an indication of things to come.”
- There is no frigate like a book and no harbour like a library – Sara Paretsky (USA). Urges people in Chicago to help save their library service. “Libraries in every jurisdiction in this country and in the UK are under similar threat. If you live outside Chicago, the American Library Association can help you find out your library’s status, and how to take action to protect it.”
Changes
Bedford – £229k investment in self-service, computers and study areas.
Bradford – Addingham Library volunteer-run since 1/1/11. Denholme and Wrose will be volunteer-run by end of month.
Calderdale – Central Library may be replaced by entirely new building in regeneration plan.
Fife – Libraries/theatres/archives/arts/museums to be turned into a Trust. £639k expected to be saved per year due to tax avoidance.
Islington – £565k investment Self-service to be installed in all branches to save £250k per year via losing staff.
Stockton – £1.29m spend on Central Library: now reopened with council “one stop shop”, self-service, technology suites.
Local News
- Bedford – Borough council library modernisation programme – About My Area. £229k for self-service, Central Library will have more study space and computers. ” “Many local authorities have been forced to make library closures, but despite severe budget constraints we are investing in our library service and have not closed any of our libraries. Bedford Central Library will close for a temporary period only, and we hope that future visitors will enter its doors in anticipation to see the new look library, which will be even easier to use. The library will continue to offer a wonderful place to enjoy a book or to work and study.”
- Bradford – New chapter as volunteers take over at Addingham library – Ilkley Gazette. Addingham Library became volunteer run on Tuesday 1st November. “The library is now open for more than twice the hours it was under Bradford Council management, and has around 40 volunteers. Addingham was one of five libraries earmarked earlier this year for closure under Bradford Council cutbacks.”. Hours “doubled” from 6.5 to 13 hours per week. 40 volunteers involved.
- Brent – Private Eye comments on Brent crisis – Private Eye (via Alan Gibbons). Notes inaction by Government ministers. “As well as starting to empty and board up the libraries, which remain closed until the appeal next month, Brent cancelled many of the events of “Word Up”, a borough-wide literary festival taking place in those libraries around Children’s Book Week. These events included making heritage collages, treasure hunts and a talk entitled “Yes you can!” For many people in Brent who want to use a public library, the answer is now: “No, you cant!”
- Calderdale – Council’s plan for multi-million pound transformation of centre – Yorkshire Post. “the council wants to create a new central library and archive next to the Square Spire and linking into the historic Piece Hall – itself the subject of a £16m redevelopment if Lottery funds allow.” … paid for by selling other council buildings. Old library will be demolished. ““While local authorities across the land are struggling to keep their libraries and archives open, Calderdale is about to embark on an exciting development which will see a completely new and purpose-built library and archive. ”
- Cornwall – “Burn bible” display withdrawn – Pirate FM. Bodmin library display showing books that should be burnt (chosen by customers) showed Mein Kampf but also the Bible. Local christians complained and library withdrew display. [Freedom of speech and impartiality fo libraries both do not come out well in this article – Ed.]
- Fife – A culture of Trust – Fife Today. “The new trust will manage and operate libraries, arts, museums and archives on behalf of the Council, as well as theatre provision in the Kingdom, for ON at Fife (Adam Smith Theatre, Rothes Halls, Lochgelly Centre and Carnegie Hall) and The Byre Theatre. It will be the fourth trust to be set up in the Kingdom, joining those for Sports and Leisure, Golf, and Coast and Coutryside.”
- Councillors back plan to move services under control of new Fife Cultural Trust – Courier. “Buildings remain under council ownership and are leased to the trust. Artifacts and artworks in museum collections, non-renewable library stock and archives will also be owned by the council.”
- Gloucestershire – New hope for Moreton library – Tewkesbury Admag. Hours slashed earlier this year. Hoped that opening building to other groups would extend. ““The county council is investigating the possibility of the library premises being shared with other bodies. They could open Moreton library up to the original hours.””
- Hertfordshire – Libraries to be loaned out of hours – Comet. “Herts County Council (HCC) is proposing to offer library buildings to groups out-of-hours, and is now in a position to start looking into pilot schemes, although a spokesman said the council did not yet know where these would be.”. Worries over this ensuring recently savagely cut (by one-third) opening hours stay in place despite previous assurances that they would rise again when times improve, confusion about when libraries are open, concerns over security.
- Islington – Self-service could make Islington libraries like supermarkets – Islington Gazette. “Cllr Terry Stacy, leader of the Liberal Democrat opposition, said: “The next thing we know, libraries will be run by Tesco. It will be much more impersonal and soulless. Our libraries have always prided themselves on the personal touch and that’s what residents like and expect.”. Council says ” “We are keeping all 10 libraries open and spending the same on books. If things get better, we have retained all our libraries and would be able to increase opening hours again.”
- Stockton – Services in one place as Stockton Library reopens – Gazette Live. £1.9m refurbishment, with council services on first floor (meaning four council desks elsewhere close), more self-service. “There is a specialist technology suite for blind and visually impaired people, another suite is dedicated to local and family history and a multi-media conference facility caters for up to 100 people.”
- Suffolk – Libraries to need begging bowl to stay open – Tendance Coatesy. “The Industrial and Provident Society (IPS), is a complicated means of community involvement. Why do we need a “middle-man?” Why does the County want to put a company in the middle, between the electorate and its elected Councillors? The County Council seems to be suggesting that this is better than the system we have at the moment. Is it suggesting that elected County Councillors don’t actually engage properly with their communities?”
- Society to take over libraries – Newmarket Weekly News. “The society would hold charitable status but be funded by a council grant.”. Councillor says “We are not abandoning the idea of community groups becoming involved in the running of their libraries – we have found that many would actually welcome that.”
You get what you pay for – 2011 CIPFA Statistics
Nov 2nd
If a library buys less books then people take out less books. If a library does not have enough money to properly maintain itself, people don’t come in. That appears to be what is happening this year, according to the 2011 CIPFA Public Library Statistics. Some things are striking. Very few libraries have been closed but the figures show that the service has been “hollowed out” in other ways. Almost one in twenty staff have gone for a start, replaced in part one suspects by the large increase in volunteers. A ray of hope is that children’s usage has actually gone up despite cuts in funding. This is probably due to the wonderful Summer Reading Challenge and BookStart initiatives, showing the importance of promoting library services. We don’t know, also, what impact Ebooks have had as those figures have not been gathered long enough to be released. That sector will doubtless show big increases in future years, although it is highly doubtful whether it has in a significant way replaced the decline in the borrowing of printed books this year.
It’s sobering to think that these figures don’t show the full impact of the first year of the cuts. They show the first half of the year when councils were still coming to grips with what to do. There is a lot more pain to come. A lot more downward arrows. Ed Vaizey and Jeremy Hunt are presumably hoping that those arrows will not end up pointing at them.
428 libraries (339 buildings and 89 mobiles) currently under threat or closed/left council control since 1/4/11 out of c.4612 in the UK, complete list below. Librarian professional body CILIP forecasts 600 libraries under threat (inc. 20% of English libraries). The Public Libraries News figure is obtained from counting up all reports about public libraries in the media each day.
Things you can do today
- 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
- Campaign for the Book newsletter – Alan Gibbons. Discusses Brent “Where libraries have been temporarily reprieved, we can expect local authorities to return to the matter and hand them over to volunteers. If there isn’t the community support (which may well be the case in deprived areas) councils will try to close them next year.”. Surveys other issues such as Glos/Somerset court case and the failure of the DCMS to intervene. Advocates further campaigning – “..pickets, protests, Read ins, demonstrations, even occupations. Trade unions may well have to consider coordinated industrial action..”
“Children’s fiction was the bright spot with a modest growth in overall book stock and lending. Overall visits were down from 322.1 million to 314.5 million. What is amazing is that, in a climate where there is a relentless attack on libraries, the institution has not suffered worse.”
- CILIP Gothic – Wordshore (USA). Describes challenges for CILIP and for public libraries generally. Useful to read for background on the difficulties facing the librarians’ professional body.
#CILIP president @Philbradley due to be interviewed about ebook lending on#BBC radio 4 you and yours this Fri. Approx 12.30, give or take (Twitter)
- Culture Secretary under pressure over library closures – Xmedia. Summarises legal actions and other protests.
- Describing and measuring the value of public libraries: The growth of the Internet and the evolution of library value – First Monday. “n the current economic climate, public libraries find themselves in the position of defending and justifying their funding and continued existence to their stakeholders….” Detailed academic report.
- Hard choices: do libraries really destroy books? – NPR (USA). Examines issues around disposal of older/less desirable books in libraries.
- How one library system was transformed on a tight budget – Guardian (Public leaders network). “Anythink Libraries in Denver, Colarado, have quadrupled circulation and visitor numbers in seven years by connecting with users and raising its own levy”. Previously poor and low-funded – floor space now tripled. “Two key models of inspiration for this reinvention are London’s Idea Stores and the Apple store. All Anythink’s new libraries are designed for comfort, intuitive browsing and self-service. This allows staff to focus on hospitality, gracious service and creating connections with people, information and programmes.” Increased ebook/digital provision. 110 full-time equivalent staff over seven branches.
- Library is everywhere – Info Today. Key themes from Internet Librarian International 2011 Conference.
- Orchestras and bands join the fight for Yorkshire’s amazing music and drama library – Guardian (Northerners Blog). “The Yorkshire Libraries and Information council is meeting on Thursday, 3 November, under intense pressure to reconsider its plan to close or disperse the biggest lending collection of music scores and play scripts in the UK.”
- Privatizing public libraries is a bad idea – Outlook (USA). “One of the most attractive components of public libraries is the notion that everyone, from any social and economic strata, has equal and unrestricted access to books, periodicals, movies and online resources.”. In response to libertarian thinktank proposal to charge users for libraries.
- Rise in library volunteers as staff numbers fall – Public Finance. “The institute’s annual library use survey shows that the total number of volunteers in UK public libraries rose by 22.3% to 21,462 people between 2009/10 and 2010/11. Over the same period, the number of full-time equivalent library staff dropped by 4.3% to 23,681.” … “ … CIPFA said: ‘Norwich’s achievement proves that modern libraries are still popular community institutions, offering services and support beyond book lending. The increase in volunteers also shows how libraries continue to be seen as much valued hubs for their communities.’”
- Rise in the number of pre-school children taking part in library activities – Nursery World. “According to the Children’s Public Library Users Survey, which is based on data from 1,203 libraries across 63 local authorities, more than one third of children visited a library for an under-fives’ event between April 2010 and March 2011, an increase from 28 per cent in 2007/08.” … “‘These statistics provide some fascinating findings, particularly the differences between libraries in deprived areas where children are more likely to be older and visit on their own, compared to more affluent areas where children visiting libraries are generally younger and more likely to be read to by their parents. It is also interesting to note the trend suggesting an increase from 2007 in library activities beyond borrowing books.’”
- Further falls in library use as book stock still suffers – BookSeller. Summarises changes in CIPFA figures.
- Library volunteering on the rise – I-Volunteer. “Library visitor numbers have also increased with at least five libararies – including Birmingham, newcastle and Croydon – receiving more than a million visitors each. The most popular library in the country was in Norwich which received almost one and a half million visitors.”
- UK’s biggest music and drama lending library faces closure in Wakefield – Guardian. “Expert librarians whose skill has been treasured for decades by choirs, dramatic societies and researchers face the loss of a centralised system in Wakefield, West Yorkshire, which makes loans from an unrivalled lending collection of 500,000 music scores and 90,000 playscripts. “It is extraordinary what they can produce. I’ve had someone on the phone today who had tried all over the place for an obscure piece of music by Parry and they came up with the goods,” said Robin Osterley, chief executive of Making Music, the national federation of music societies. “The rule among choirs all over the country is try your local library first, then Wakefield. It will be devastating if that ceases to be the case.”
Changes
West Sussex – £650,000 cut over three years: via self-service, less staff, volunteers in smaller branches, £200k cut in bookfund, more donated books, stopping staffed visits to elderly peoples’ homes.
Local News
- Brent – Appeal for Brent Libraries to be heard next week in High Court – Harrow Times. Concerning disputed closure of six libraries. “Two weeks ago, Lord Justice Elias said the process to hear the case in the Court of Appeal should be fast-tracked and the case will now be at the Court of Appeal on November 10 and 11.”
- Walk to save Preston Library – Preston Library Campaign. “Show Jeremy Hunt why Brent’s 21st Century library service is miles out!! We’re going to walk to our nearest library this Saturday 5 November. Join us and show the politicians just how close Kingsbury library really is. Everyone welcome – dress as your favourite book or character!”
- Croydon – Library is one of UK’s most popular – Croydon Guardian. “Croydon’s central library is the UK’s third most popular library. New figures show that Croydon had 1,168,160 visitors in 2010-11, up from 1,036,872 in 2009-10.”
- Doncaster – Two Doncaster libraries given temporary reprieve – BookSeller. Comment: “Things have come to a pretty pass when a measly extra week is described as a “reprieve”. United with the city’s campaigners and library users, we hold our collective breath to see what Doncaster does next.”
- Dudley – Outrage at bid to shift library – Dudley News. “Dudley Council wants to shift the [Netherton] library, currently based at Netherton Arts Centre, to the nearby Savoy Centre – a business centre run by Black Country Housing and Dudley Council. Netherton Arts Centre may close.
“If a library closes in the Forest of Dean does @edvaizey make a sound?” Gloucestershire (Twitter)
- Liverpool – Central Library redevelopment reaches halfway stage – Liverpool Echo. ““The library is one of the most celebrated public libraries in the UK and its regeneration will not only restore the building’s beautiful historic elements but will also create a 21st century facility for all library users.” Many pictures.
- Wandsworth – Library reopens after facelift – Wandsworth Council. York Gardens Library saved from closure by protests and volunteers is reopened – with no mention of the protests or volunteers in the Wandsworth press release. “The changes, which were drawn up following extensive public consultation, mean that the library now boasts additional community spaces. Two extra rooms are now available for hire by local groups and organisations, brining [sic] the total number of rooms for hire to five.” [One of the most shocking whitewashes of a press release I have seen – Ed.]
- West Sussex – Burgess Hill library could get self-service – Mid-Sussex Times. ““Originally we were working with just the smaller libraries to find alternative ways of delivering the service, but now it is clear the savings should be found from across the whole libraries network,” … “We are looking to reduce paid staff in smaller libraries, and work with communities to find volunteers to offer support. For customers this is more realistic than expecting libraries to be run wholly by volunteers, which communities told us they didn’t like. We are still looking at the details of how things will work, but we have avoided any change to the opening hours.”
Be careful…
Nov 1st
428 libraries (339 buildings and 89 mobiles) currently under threat or closed/left council control since 1/4/11 out of c.4612 in the UK, complete list below. Librarian professional body CILIP forecasts 600 libraries under threat (inc. 20% of English libraries). The Public Libraries News figure is obtained from counting up all reports about public libraries in the media each day.
Things you can do today
- 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
- Arts Council England launches strategic funding and 2011-15 plan – Arts Council England. Details of £440m of investment, including for libraries. 35 page document. “will extend to our new responsibilities for museums and libraries as we look to understand how these important areas can become central to the Arts Council’s work. We see this uniting of the cultural sector as an unprecedented opportunity”. Looking at collaborations between arts/museums/libraries etc. Confirms that ex MLA staff have largely taken over new ACE posts – “37 of 53 new or transferred roles being filled by staff from the MLA“.
- Chinese public libraries see record number of patrons – Xinhua (China). “China’s 2,880 libraries received about 330 million visits in 2010, according to a document released by the Ministry of Culture on Wednesday at an annual meeting on public library projects in the city of Guiyang, the capital of Guizhou province. China’s public libraries contain about 140,000 computers and 80,000 digital reading rooms, nearly triple the number in 2005, according to the document.”
- Conference notes, Reading for Pleasure – bringing the classics to life, 20 October – Guardian. “Links between school groups and public libraries was discussed as being extremely important.”
“In line with the Local Government Association’s (LGA’s) Taking the Lead approach to sector-led improvement, which the Government support, Arts Council England (ACE) and the LGA have no intention of imposing performance targets on local authorities… ACE will launch the libraries development initiative next month with the aim of building on the Future Libraries programme.” Ed Vaizey answers his shadow Dan Jarvis, House of Commons 31st October.
- Library card is a barrier to library use – Librarian 1.5 (Scandinavia). “hy do we insist that library members log into library websites with library card number and a pin-code? Why not let them have the option to log in with their Facebook credentials, OpenID, Google- or Twitter login? I see this option at more and more sites and would like to have this possibility available for my library members as well.” Cards are (a) only used for one thing and (b) only have the library card number on and (c) can be lost.
- Newly hired librarian completely unaware that books exist – Insert Eyeroll (USA). Spoof article ““Well, this is completely inefficient. I checked Amazon, and most of these books are available online. We’ll get rid of these things and people can download them on their tablets. We’ll partner with Amazon or something.” When asked about library holdings that weren’t available online, she considered her options. For a moment, Olivo looked troubled. “If they weren’t online, it’s probably because … they weren’t very good?” She brightens immediately. “Yeah, let’s burn this shit.” “That’s the kind of out-of-the-box thinking that this library needs,” said Excelsior CEO and President John Foster. “Ms. Olivo has a future in information management.”
- UK library cuts proceeding apace – World Socialist Web Site. “In spite of protests all over the country, library closures and cutbacks are proceeding as planned.”. Accurate survey of cuts [has the author been using Public Lbiraries News? – Ed.]. Critical of union involvement so far … “The role of the unions has been to issue token statements of support for those opposing library closures while ensuring that no effective action is taken.”
- Wales’ libraries fortnight – News Wales. “Many libraries in Wales will be taking part in the Libraries Fortnight, which is happening from 1-14 November. The Libraries Fortnight comprises a programme of free events for all the family in libraries and communities across Wales. The theme linking all the events is the London 2012 Cultural Olympiad programme, which inspires creativity across all forms of culture, especially among young people.”
- YLI campaign support – Making Music. “Since emailing our 3,000 members on Friday 28 October, we have received over 1,050 emails and letters in support for this campaign, copying communications which have been sent direct to the YLI Council. A staggering response! But not a surprising one, given the far-reaching implications of this situation.”. Music and Drama library serving Yorkshire is likely to close.
“I have just heard the news of the closure of the Yorkshire Library Music and Drama Service. This is an unthinkable act of cultural vandalism which, if implemented will affect many thousands of people nation-wide. All those of us involved in working with amateur musicians in the UK know the immense value of our library services. The inter-library loan scheme is the bedrock of choirs’ and orchestras’ ability to perform music at a cost which makes it possible. To lose this – or a major part of it, which the Yorkshire Music and Drama Library is – would be to deny many people the opportunity of singing and playing great classical music in a world which is already seeing the Arts squeezed to the point of extinction in some cases”
Changes
Local News
Buckinghamshire – Farnham Common Community Library handover “I know that older people use it and kids read books like mad so saving a library is such an important thing to do” Johnny Ball.
- Camden – Plan to create Romantic poets centre to save Hampstead library – Ham & High. Heath Library may be taken over by Heath & Hampstead Society if agreed by the City of London Corporation who own the building. ““We want to create a literary and literacy centre based around the core elements of Keats and the Romantic poets.”
- Doncaster – Reprieve for Doncaster’s closure-threatened libraries – BBC. Carcroft and Denaby Libraries, due to close, will stay open until 10th November after Labour group raises objection. Decision to close will be go to overview and scrutiny committee.
- Kent – Big Society fails to take off in Kent – Kent Online. “Kent County Council has yet to spend a single penny of a £5 million ‘Big Society’ fund it has set aside to help volunteer groups to take over council-run services.”
- After his victory, what next for council chief? – This is Kent. “Mr Carter was forced to backtrack over his plans to close libraries but is now trying to encourage community groups to run small branches which don’t get much use. He said: “There won’t be any closures until we have explored all the options, including community ownership.”
- Northern Ireland – Fighting for library hours – Lurgan Mail. “Last month the ‘Mail revealed plans to cut hours at Lurgan Library from 53 and a half to 40. Since then the proposal has been roundly criticised by politicians and library users alike.”
- Oxfordshire – Bid to stop linking library and care cuts – This is Oxfordshire. ” County Council will today debate whether library cuts should be linked to reductions being made to social care.” … Council Leader had linked the two issues. “At the council’s budget in February, it was announced £37m would be saved by cutting social care and £2m by closing libraries.”
- Portsmouth – The way we use our libraries is changing – News. “Across the country, library visits and book issues have tumbled – almost to the level of collapse.” … library services manager says “‘Visits are down and the number of books taken out has dropped to less than one per person, per visit. Most people aren’t coming in to borrow books.’” – ebooks, use of archives and other reference facilities mean the same number of people are using libraries but in different ways. Also includes council and cancer information points. Hampshire librarian says same thing – deep budget cuts and visitor numbers down. ” ‘Lending figures have fallen, but people come for information, to use the computers and to meet with friends. It’s vital to us to make sure they can continue to do that, with at least one library open near to every Hampshire resident.’
- Reading – Return to lender, libraries missing 2500 books – Get Reading. “Figures obtained through a Freedom of Information request showed at the start of the month borrowers from Reading Borough Council libraries had 2,418 overdue books – which could be worth more than £14,000 if they reach their maximum fines.” … “Council spokeswoman Sarah Bishton said: “The majority of these overdue books will be returned to Reading libraries and most were overdue by only a couple of days so there is only really a small impact on other users.”
- Suffolk – Reassurances sought over Suffolk County Council library organisation – EDP. Eye Library campaigner unsure if new Industrial and Provident Society will pay for staffing. Also worried that money already promised by Suffolk Council to help the transfer to volunteers may be lost.
- Council reveals how it will keep libraries open – Evening Star. Newspaper appears to copy article from council press release, now taken off server.
- Proposes charitable trust model for libraries – BookSeller. “Under the proposal, no library would close although the council is still looking for widespread involvement from local community groups, with libraries expected to generate the remaining 5% of their costs through “efficiency savings” and money-making projects.”
“Under the new regime which is about to come in, the libraries would avoid paying business rates, but now that money would reduce the pot in their own local council, which, they will suddenly see when they read the bill, is not a good idea at all. None of these things are actual savings- they are just accounting niceties within the realms of government.” Tim Coates
“Thanks to all who came to support reopening of YGLibrary this evening. Great evening and wonderful to see so many people using the library!” Wandsworth – Save York Gardens Library (Twitter).
Suffolk enters the unknown
Oct 31st
Comment
Suffolk Council, in a bid to keep libraries from closure, is transferring them all to an Industrial and Provident Society (IPS). This is the first time something like this has happened in the UK. There is no other library system in the country run by a stand-alone organisation, let alone one being run by an IPS. This is experimental outsourcing on a grand scale. So, why do it? Basically, tax avoidance. By turning the library service into a charity, Suffolk can avoid paying 80% of its business rates. As if this is not enough, the council points out that it will remove Libraries from annoying council bureaucracy and remove layers of management. All in all, councillor believe the move will save 27.6% of expenditure. Without closing a single library.
Well, that’s the press release. Ed Vaizey will doubtless stop reading here. Now, for the rest of us, let’s enter the darker world of reality. With thanks to the campaign group, Rosehill Readers, and others, here’s some of the worries:
- That tax loophole could be closed at any moment. Cambridgeshire were toying with a similar idea but backed out due to fears that a law change could wipe out the financial benefits, at any time.
- Which is really bad news as just setting up the IPS is going to cost, at the council’s own estimate. £625,000. More than three-fifths of a million pounds is a big load of money to be spending at the moment, especially if it is on consultants.
- It’s hard to see how this is going to reduce bureaucracy. The IPS is going to need a stand-alone boss, headquarters, legal, admin department, IT department, buildings people, personnel … unless of course they buy back into Suffolk Council (in which case…).
- 20 out of 160 full-time equivalent staff will be lost. Thankfully, it seems, by natural wastage. However, 1 in 8 is too high a percentage to be done by natural wastage alone. Presumably, that’s a lot of voluntary redundancy and early retirement. Those things actually cost money. This means the council will be paying staff to stop working for them. Or they’re going to sack them.
- Then we get on to the mind-boggling bit. You see, it does not just stop at one arms-length organisation. Oh no. Each library is going to have its own volunteer-run group helping to run it which will be expected to eventually take over the branch and become a partner in the umbrella IPS. That’s 44 different branches. 44 different leaders, different ways of doing things. That’s a lot of extra bureaucracy. That’s a nightmare of competing bureaucracies. Add on the IPS and the Council on to that and it’s 46.
- On top of this, these 44 different groups will be expected to raise 5% of the funding themselves. Yep, they’re helping to run the service – presumably for free – and then they’re going to be expected to pay the council for the privilege. The Councils justifies this by saying that “some” of the groups raise 5% per year now through fund-raising. Not all. Some. That’s £100,000 every year.
There’s other worries too. Things like the Council losing accountability for its branches. Things like what contract (and for what term) the Council will give to the IPM. Things like how the IPM is going to pay for maintenance on its buildings. Things like more than twenty staff working in libraries losing their jobs and not being replaced. Things like a Conservative run council setting up a socialist-based “Industrial and Provident Society” with an apparently straight face. But I’m not going to worry about those. No, the prospect of 46 (44 plus the IPM and the Council) somehow making things work for over a quarter less money per year is enough to worry about for now.
The very best of luck, by the way, to York Gardens Library in Wandsworth which is officially opening tomorrow as a volunteer-run Big Society library. It’s in a tough area, close to the scenes of some of the worst of the London riots this Summer, and would otherwise have been closed down by its council if it was not for volunteers. Readers of Public Libraries News will know that there are a lot of concerns about volunteers running libraries and thus giving their councils a “get out of jail free” card. However, I cannot help but wish the Friends of York Gardens Library well and hope that they will avoid being used as poster boys by every English council that wants to close libraries in disadvantaged areas. We can but hope. After all, there’d be no library otherwise … and that’s a terrible thing to wish on any community.
428 libraries (339 buildings and 89 mobiles) currently under threat or closed/left council control since 1/4/11 out of c.4612 in the UK, complete list below. Librarian professional body CILIP forecasts 600 libraries under threat (inc. 20% of English libraries). The Public Libraries News figure is obtained from counting up all reports about public libraries in the media each day.
Things you can do today
- 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
Andy McNab
- Andy McNab in special mission to celebrate reading success – Reading Agency (Press Release). “Bestselling novelist and former SAS operative Andy NcNab thrilled workers at McVitie’s Manchester yesterday (31 October 2011) when he visited them to sign copies of his new book Dead Centre, and celebrate their Learn 4 U Centre’s success in winning the prize draw for workplaces participating in the Six Book Challenge.” … “18,000 young people and adults across the UK registered for the Six Book Challenge this year through libraries, colleges, adult education, prisons and workplaces with potentially life-changing results. Impact research into the Six Book Challenge has found that 94% of respondents felt a sense of achievement, 88% said they gained from the experience and 60% reported an improvement in their skills.”
- Are we going to give up looking for good staff and and go for 24/7 staffless libraries? – This Week in Libraries. Chris Batt PhD tackles questions of “What are the opportunities that excist in all the dramatic change that is happening for libraries? Can we claim the library is important simply because it is there?”
- eHustings – CILIP. Candidates for elected positions in library professional association questioned by members
“Reading is about more than what’s on the page. Holding a book prompts my mind to enrich itself”, Alternative literature, XKCD. (with thanks to Simon Barron)
- Just another liberal whinger – Walk You Home. Updated. Only around one half of children have a desk at home.
- Notes from Wales – Deborah Fitchett (New Zealand). Summarises speech by Andrew Green, National Libary of Wales to LIANZA conference. “Libraries are public goods. Noone should be prevented by lack of means from taking advantage of GLAM [galleries, libraries, archives, museums] institutions.”
- Occupy libraries: Guerilla librarianship for the people – Occupy Wall Street Library (USA). Aims to: “to meet the information needs of a hard to reach group, to surprise and entertain,to enhance people’s enjoyment of an event, to educate and inform as conveniently as possible, to offer a common space for education and intellectual engagement outside of traditional spaces like universities and public libraries”
“Most of all guerrilla librarianship is an act of resistance . . .” Occupy Wall Street Library
- Who left a tree, then a coffin in the library? – NPR (USA). The identity of the artist who has left exquisitely crafted paper scenes in libraries and museums in Scotland to celebrate Ian Rankin, libraries and literacy has been (sort of) revealed. However, people prefer not to know who …
Changes
- Sefton – Internet access to be charged for after first free 30 minutes.
- Suffolk – To form an “Industrial and Provident Society” for libraries in order to save 80% on rates and be able to apply for more grants. Reduction in management. 95% council-funded. Confirmed that half of mobile librariew will go (with visits becoming monthly rather than fortnightly). Local groups would be expected to raise 5% of costs of each library. 20 (out of 160) full-time equivalent posts to go, probably by natural wastage – largely management and at headquarters.
- Surrey – Volunteer group: New Haw Library Community Partnership.
Local News
- Brent – Date given for Brent libraries appeal – BookSeller. 10th and 11th November are the dates. “The Brent SOS Libraries campaign, run by local residents keen to keep the libraries open, said it was preparing to be asked for a further “community contribution” towards costs by the Legal Services Commission, which administers legal aid. Residents have already raised in excess of £30,000 to fund the cost of a legal challenge to the closures.”
- Friends of Kensal Rise Library – Includes ways to donate (inc. via text message), charitable object. Impressive list of trustees (inc. local nursery manager, Radio Times reviewer, digital music business manager, literacy tutor, solicitor and a barrister. See also Friends of Kensal Rise Library website launched – Save Kensal Rise library.
- Croydon – Council “holding libraries hostage” – This is Croydon Today. “Councillor Sara Bashford, cabinet member for customer services, culture and sport, said: “We have a responsibility to our residents to spend their money prudently and within the letter of the law, and with Lambeth boycotting its management role, this is impossible.” … “Croydon’s Labour leader, Councillor Tony Newman, said: “Councillor Fisher is holding a gun to the head of the UNJL (Upper Norwood Joint Library) and holding every library in Croydon hostage. He seems to be prepared to see the UNJL’s future threatened and is hell bent on selling off all of Croydon’s libraries.”
- Hull – Western Library gets “long overdue” facelift – BBC. “Much of the funding for the work is being provided by the James Reckitt Library Trust and the Townscape Heritage Initiative.”… “Hull Councillor Terry Geraghty said the library was “much loved” and the “long overdue” facelift would provide extra meeting rooms for public use.”
- Oxfordshire – “Vital” library facing staff cuts celebrates 20 years – Henley Standard. ““People often don’t realise what they’ve got until they are threatened with losing it but that’s never been the case with Woodcote library. It has always been so well used and appreciated, which is why there was such a reaction when people heard about the cuts. The efforts that have been put in by the support groups and the parish council and residents together show how important people feel the issue is.”
- Sefton – Unlimited internet access will no longer be free at the library as part of £20.5m Sefton Council savings – Formby Times. “The report before councillors told of the risks of denying free internet access at libraries, given that 30 percent of households do not have access. The council intends to introduce a tiered system of charging 50p per half hour after an initial free 30 minutes. Concessions could apply to the unemployed and elderly. Just 34 of 153 local authorities currently charge for the service, with five in the North West.”
- Suffolk – Council reveals how it will keep every library open – EADT. “The proposals would see Suffolk County Council create an Industrial and Provident Society (IPS), an organisation working with, but independent from, the county council to support the county’s library network. The IPS would hold charitable status, be able to benefit from an 80% reduction in property rates and apply for external funding.”. Creating a separate organisation with whole new management structure will “free the library service from unnecessary council bureaucracy”
- Jobs to go as libraries face shake-up – EADT. “Moves to save all Suffolk’s libraries by transferring them into a new independent body have been given a cautious welcome by one of the county’s keenest campaigners… he felt it was ironic that the Conservative-controlled county council was using a form of organisation that stemmed from the co-operative movement.” … “Suffolk would be the first county in Britain to transfer its libraries to such a body”
“If it means all the libraries have a secure future then that would be something to be welcomed. I’m not sure it has a great advantage over the current arrangement, but if the service is safeguarded then that’s got to be good.” James Hargrave, Campaigner.
“Eventually, every library will have a community group involved and having a direct say in its day to day running. Supported by the IPS, community groups will be able to opt for a level of responsibility they feel able to take on. Seven pilot projects are currently being developed and will, from April 2012, be the first of these arrangements in action. Organisations running local libraries would become members of the IPS and elect its board.” Suffolk Council press release.
“Arts Council England is grateful to Suffolk’s library service for their positive and innovative approach and for working in partnership with us on the Future Libraries Programme.” Nicky Morgan (previously of the MLA), Arts Council England
- New organisation to help run Suffolk’s libraries – Bury Free Press. “The new model would cost up to £652,000 to set up but would be 27.6 per cent cheaper to run than the current system. The move allows all libraries to remain open and services in Suffolk would cost £6.487 million a year compared to their £8.961 million running cost in 2010/11.”
- Plans to keep Suffolk’s libraries open and thriving revealed: our response – Rosehill Readers. Change will inevitably result in more bureaucracy, creates a middle man between users and council, 5% “contribution” means volunteers must raise £100,000 every year. “As you can see, our concerns are numerous, and as previously stated, our campaign will continue.”
- Suffolk’s 44 libraries to remain open under new plan – BBC.
- Surrey – Max Clifford backs New Haw library volunteers – Get Surrey. ““There’s an awful lot of people suffering because of cutbacks generally around the country, and a lot of people can justify complaining about that. But in New Haw, people are doing something about it and that speaks volumes. Libraries are an incredibly important part of every community, and everybody from children to the elderly all benefit so much from them.”
“While we remain disappointed that Wandsworth Borough Council singled out this library, initially for closure and now to be its ‘Big Society pilot’, we are pleased at the way the community has come together and that today the library remains open,” said Sonia FrancisMills, Chair of the Friends of York Gardens Library. “We continue to face significant challenges in recruiting enough volunteers to keep the library going, raising revenues and – most importantly – increasing community engagement so that York Gardens can continue to be a place that offers local people a safe place to read and to learn.” Wandsworth – Wandsworth’s Big Society Library reopens: local people step in to keep library in deprived ward open – Friends of York Gardens Library (press release).
The real customers of libraries.
Oct 30th
Comment
I have always been taught that excellent customer service is the key to a good library (or, indeed, retail) service. Libraries need to give the customers what they want, when they want and in the way they want it. That the best libraries excel at serving the public by providing books, ebooks, information, internet access, meeting rooms, all of thes things in the same space, often for free. The best libraries should also, we’re told, bend over backwards to help enquiries on any issue from all people of all backgrounds, even trying to guess what the future will hold and changing their service accordingly. By doing this, library staff believe that they are providing excellent customer service and thus ensuring the future of their public library.
They are wrong.
You see, it has become increasingly clear that the true customer of the public library is not, counter-intuitive as it may seem, the public. They have an impact, yes. One cannot completely ignore them or it will annoy the real customers of the library, that is, the people who really matter. Who are these people? It’s the councillors, stupid. One can be as brilliant as anything with the customers, provide great cappuccino and glossy new books, have a wonderful Facebook page, 90% plus high satisfaction ratings (common with libraries that) and have high and rising usage. Doesn’t matter. What matters is if the councillors are on board, if the councillors believe what the libraries are doing is relevant to the aims of the councillors.
Failure to persuade the councillors of their importance to them makes it completely irrelevant what else a library does. Sure, the public will eventually let the council know they’re unhappy and this might have an impact on what the councillors think of the library service. However, library users definitely don’t want to rock the boat overly, especially these days, when they are just plain glad to have them open. No, the most important thing for any library (and thus also anyone who cares about their library) is making the councillors realise libraries are relevant to the council’s goals – whatever those goals are. Well done to Hillingdon and for that. If libraries ignore this basic rule, the councillors will ignore the library … and close them down. See Croydon and Doncaster for the truth of this.
428 libraries (339 buildings and 89 mobiles) currently under threat or closed/left council control since 1/4/11 out of c.4612 in the UK, complete list below. Librarian professional body CILIP forecasts 600 libraries under threat (inc. 20% of English libraries). The Public Libraries News figure is obtained from counting up all reports about public libraries in the media each day.
Things you can do today
- 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
- All hail the public library – Newsarama (USA). Greg Pak: “In honor of the public libraries that provided me with constant, free access to knowledge, literature, and inspiration, here are a few musings about the stories that compelled me as kid….
“Good to meet 12 apprentices at local McDonalds yesterday” Ed Vaizey, minister (technically) for public libraries, tweet of the day. Apprentices get from £2.60 per hour for two years.
- Higgins addresses the 2011 Annual Conference of the Northern Ireland Theatre Association – Michael D Higgins (Eire). The new President of Ireland speaks on libraries, amongst other things. “”Another striking statistic is that 40 per cent of those using PCs in public libraries were non-nationals and 44 per cent were unemployed.”
- Internet (Governance) – They Work For You. “It follows that the exploitation of online delivery options by the Government needs to be costed in a way that ensures the availability of services to those who do not go online, which might involve paying for facilitation, perhaps at local libraries or in post offices. However, if it is not built into the Government’s model, it will bring online delivery into disrepute and widen the digital divide into a chasm, ultimately creating a problem that will involve even more expense to solve than building in the solution at the design stage.” Alun Michael MP at a Westminster Hall debate.
“I started to cry. Readers looked up reproachfully, and the librarian reprimanded me, because in those days you weren’t even allowed to sneeze in a library, let alone weep. So I took the book outside and read it all the way through, sitting on the steps in the usual northern gale. The unfamiliar and beautiful play made things bearable that day… ” Jeanette Winterson: all about my mother – Guardian. As part of a longer piece, describes how important he local library library was to her while she was growing up – the public library helped her to survive.
- Public Libraries in the UK – Deborah Fitchett (New Zealand) summarises keynote talk given by Martin Molloy at LIANZA conference on the national libraries picture in the UK including budget cuts, technological change, protests and need to emphasise importance of service to councils and politicians. In partial note form but makes interesting reading. Mr Molloy is chief of libraries for Derbyshire. “Enviable usage figures and exception satisfaction levels. But confusion and lack of competence of politicians re purpose and value of libraries. Public library community also confused, lack of confidence, clarity, vision – librarians ill-equipped to defend services. “Toxic mix of short-term fixes and so-called radical solutions.”
Changes
Local News
- Doncaster – Overview & Scrutiny (Round Two), Mystery Volunteers and the Silent Death of our Library Service – Save Doncaster Libraries. Labour have called in plans for scrutiny on Nov 10th due to worries over Equalities Impact Assessment. Sprotborough Library Action Group does not wish to run library regardless of what council says, similarly in Bessacar. “We are not convinced that any groups have expressed an interest in running libraries – this is not because libraries are not wanted or needed – the outcome of consultations has already shown that people think libraries are important – but because, as we have repeatedly stated, Doncaster communities are in no position to run libraries.”
- Oxfordshire – Save the back office at all costs – Question Everything. “The library service is being cut by 25% and of that 25% almost all the cuts are to the front line 86.22%.” … “Keith [leader of Council] will keep spouting the social care v libraries nonsense to wind the voters of Oxfordshire up and muddy the waters. He should get the back office sorted before a single front line service gets cut. By the time voters get a chance to have their say on his competence in 2013 he will be long gone as his division will have disappeared.”
- Westminster – Miserable Rich and the Real Tuesday Weld – Songkick. “It’s time to stock up on garlic and deck the halls with boughs of cobwebs as Arctic Circle presents a special co-headline show with The Real Tuesday Weld and The Miserable Rich this Halloween within the spooky confines of the Westminster Reference Library.”
Statutory or Non-Statutory, that is the question
Oct 29th
Comment
So, Jeremy Hunt’s suggestion that Lewisham, Somerset, Gloucestershire and anyone other council that wants to cut down on costs can give branches to volunteers and still meet it’s statutory responsibilities has led me to wonder as to what actually is statutory. It is not clear from the Brent case and no other legal case, to my knowledge, has so far settled the issue. My thoughts are in the bullet points below. Campaigners up and down the country (and, it seems, the Secretary of State) need clearer guidelines. Can anyone provide them? For, if Jeremy is correct, library authorities effectively become unprotected by law.
- the service must be free at point of use (in terms of both membership fee and loans).
- there must be a service level agreement with the local council.
- the council must fund at least a significant part of the service, although staffing might be voluntary to some extent. Such funding may be in kind (providing the building, books, lighting, computers etc).
- the council maintains ultimate responsibility for the library and is thus legally liable for insurance purposes as well as under the terms of the 1964 Public Libraries and Museums Act. This may include sub-contracting the service to a community group (in the same way that the service in Hounslow is still statutory although run by a private company).
- Library premises are “any premises which are occupied by a library authority and are premises where library facilities are made available by the authority“
“CILIP’s position is clear”, she states, “If community managed libraries are to be regarded as part of the statutory service they must have a core paid staff, be part of the professionally led public library service and operate within a service level agreement with that parent library service. Volunteers play a valuable role in enhancing the public library service but they are not a replacement for the skills and expertise of staff. All are entitled to a public library service of high quality”. Annie Mauger, Chief Executive, CILIP (librarian professional body).
Addition: buckslibraryuser in comments below (thank you) says “A library authority is surely required to pay for the whole cost of providing the statutory library service (not just part of it). This applies however the service is delivered”. One would have thought so, too. However, the MLA report “Community Managed Libraries” says Buckinghamshire is “Anticipating transferring 14 of its mid-sized libraries (the
largest operates at an annual turnover of £115k) to community management and reducing funding across
all 14 by 50%. All will remain statutory” (p.10). This means that at least one (albeit recently defunct) influential body thinks that the 1964 Act still applies if (a) the branch is managed by volunteers and (b) it’s funding is halved. Similary, it says Cambridgeshire will “community partner” another 13 “which will remain statutory”. So, it is not black and white…. and politicians like Mr Hunt love grey areas. They can hide and shade into them so well.
428 libraries (339 buildings and 89 mobiles) currently under threat or closed/left council control since 1/4/11 out of c.4612 in the UK, complete list below. Librarian professional body CILIP forecasts 600 libraries under threat (inc. 20% of English libraries). The Public Libraries News figure is obtained from counting up all reports about public libraries in the media each day.
Things you can do today
- 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
- Drama library could be closed – Wakefield Express. Service covering all Yorkshire to be scrapped. “A music and drama library service used by amateur performing groups could be closed down. The Yorkshire Libraries and Information Council (YLI) plans to shut down the service, which provides subsidised scripts, vocal scores and orchestral music, at Balne Lane Library.”
- Campaign to stop closure of YLI Music and Drama Service – Making Music. “We cannot allow this vital resource to be lost. We do not believe that splitting the collection and distributing it across the 12 Local authorities is a workable solution. We want the collection to be preserved as a complete library and in public ownership. Without it our communities will suffer. It’s in all our interests to campaign to keep the service running. We need you support this campaign and let the decision makers know how much it means to you and your community!”
- Hunt offers little hope of intervening over library closures – Guardian. Concerning questions of DCMS committee. “Hunt seemed to back plans which would see volunteers run some libraries rather than the council. He said they “monitoring” things very closely and said the Isle of Wight, Lewisham, Gloucestershire and Somerset were all trying to find “community led” alternatives for the threatened libraries. Brent had taken a different approach, he said, but were extending opening hours in the ones they are keeping open.”
- Jeremy Hunt quizzed on libraries – CILIP. Annie Mauger: “In the Open Public Services White Paper I note that for national public services the Government proposes to focus on core entitlements, setting floor standards enforced by independent regulators or published data and ensuring fair access to services. Yes please that is what we want for public libraries too and the powers already exist to achieve it – Secretary of State please use them”. Similarly Annie expressed concern that community-managed libraries run by volunteers might be regarded as meeting the requirements of the Act.”
- Library map – Children’s Laureate. “Julia Donaldson will making visits to public libraries all over the UK a special priority throughout her time as Children’s Laureate.” Map produced showing the libraries she is visiting.
- Read all about it: Britain’s shameful literacy crisis – Guardian. “Labour has said sorry for a number of mistakes it made during its time in opposition. It would do well to apologise for its inadequate and blustering denials of the depth of Britain’s literacy crisis as well, and start coming up with some plans that would decisively address this baleful problem. I’d certainly be glad to mark my cross against that.”
- Real life “slumdog millionaire” to spend money on library – Channel Four News (India). “Mr Kumar told the show host that he would use the money to pay for a civil service course and exams. He told reporters immediately after winning, that he plans to open a library in his home town of Motihari in Bihar, and will help his family by buying a house for his wife and giving his four brothers money to set up small businesses.”
- Why the Occupy Wall Street movement has a library – Library Journal (USA). “…the appearance of Little Free Libraries and the libraries springing up at Occupy sites reassures me. In our day to day work, we may feel that the people we serve just want us to provide them with the stuff they personally want, whatever the cost. We may feel trapped between intellectual property owners and greedy consumers who aren’t interested in our problems. We may be nearly ready to give up the fight for intellectual freedom that nobody seems to care about but us. But these spontaneous libraries say otherwise. People want to share. It’s a democratic impulse. It’s one we need to preserve and encourage.”
Changes
Scottish Borders – Consultation on reducing Innerleithen Library hours extended.
Yorkshire Libraries and Information – Music and Drama Service may close . Campaign group – Making Music.
Local News
- Barnet – Campaigners hand Barnet Council proposals to keep library open – Times series. “Last Friday seven campaigners met with council officials to demonstrate not only how Friern Barnet Library (FBL) could be used more effectively but also the huge support it has from community groups including the Royal British Legion and Age UK Barnet. Their proposals suggest FBL offers volunteer-led projects alongside council-run services such as IT training and support, health clinics as well as inter-school reading groups and story-time clubs for nursery children.” … “What councillor Rams has actually done is threaten to close the heart of a community unless they “make it worth his while” to keep it open. It’s not my ideal picture of how Barnet council should treat residents!” (comment).
- Brent – Who will win this battle over books? – Telegraph. “The windows of a Victorian building in Kensal Rise are covered with handmade signs: “Bail out the library, not the bankers”; “Oi, Labour, leave our books alone”; and, above the bolted doors, “Let us run our library”.” … Council says ““In urban areas, on high streets and where other things are going on. Willesden Green Library [20 minutes’ walk away] gets 500,000 visitors each year. Kensal Rise gets 50,000.” … “The books are often old and creased, the selection eccentric, the carpet scuffed. You can see the logic of concentrating resources on larger libraries with longer opening hours and more stock. But why not have both?”
- Thousands lobby culture secretary over closures – Guardian. “Brent residents have handed a petition signed by thousands to the Department of Culture, Media and Sport, demanding that secretary of state Jeremy Hunt intervene to reverse the closure of six of the London borough’s libraries.” 12,000 names. … “”With thousands of children roaming the streets during half term, there has been a total absence of alternatives. It is clear that the so-called improved library service is neither comprehensive nor efficient,” say the residents”
- Croydon / Lambeth – Council spat puts library in danger – This is Surrey Today. “Croydon’s Labour leader, Councillor Tony Newman, said: “Councillor Fisher is holding a gun to the head of the UNJL (Upper Norwood Joint Library) and holding every library in Croydon hostage. “He seems to be prepared to see the UNJL’s future threatened and is hell bent on selling off all of Croydon’s libraries.”
- Hillingdon – 5 years of the Hillingdon Library project – Good Library Blog. “We had learned that – contrary to almost all of the advice received from elsewhere- what really mattered to the public are the stock of reading material; the design of the buildings to make them attractive, interesting, convivial and useful; the opening hours and the ability of the staff to be helpful, friendly and knowledgeable. It was clear that if those were done properly an awful lot of people would use the service, more than were using the rather desolate library buildkings that existed at the time” … “The councillors have realised that a good library service is actually a vote winner- it has become one of the most talked about achievements of Hillingdon council”. Improvements do not need to expensive and efficiencies could mean no need for library closures.
- Isle of Wight – New self service kiosks go live – Isle of Wight Chronicle. “Initially the new machines will be installed in the two busiest Island libraries – Ryde and the Lord Louis Library in Newport. Once the service is satisfied that the new approach is working as expected the equipment will then be extended to Cowes, Freshwater, Sandown and Ventnor in the 2012/2013 financial year.”. “No further redundancies”.
- Islington – Union’s fears as Islington Council approves library cuts – Islington Tribune. Union welcomes decision to keep libraries run by council, not by trust, but worried about self-service machines. “The plan outlined this evening is not something we’re doing enthusiastically,” he [Councillor] said. “We will keep all 10 libraries open. If things get better we’ll still have library buildings. All libraries will be open on Saturdays, not a single resident will live more than a mile from an open library. Jane is right, going to a library is not an anonymous transaction like buying a packet of spaghetti from a supermarket. The self-service machines – people won’t feel anonymised.”
- Northamptonshire – Curious case of the 34, 000 overdue library books – Evening Telegraph. “Cabinet member for customer services Cllr Heather Smith said: “Library fines are a fair amount of our income, so we’d encourage people to return their books. “But our key focus is to try to make sure children are reading from a young age. If a parent borrows a book and doesn’t bring it back, at least the child is hopefully reading it. Is that fair? Probably not. “We don’t tend to spend an enormous amount of time chasing overdue books unless someone has requested one and I don’t feel it’s justified as we get new stock constantly. I’m hopeful the figures will improve with new systems, such as email prompts we’re bringing in.”
- Northern Ireland – A reprieve, but Carnloigh library could still be shelved – Larne Times. “campaigners have won a welcome victory by gaining a reprieve for the village library, but Libraries NI have warned that the branch will close a year from now unless there is “substantive progress” on necessary building improvements and “realistic” usage targets.”
- Rutland – Sheila wants you to get involved to save Rutland libraries – Rutland and Stamford Mercury. Volunteers who delivers books to housebound speaks. … “Currently there are 30 volunteers in the libraries working alongside paid staff.”
- Scottish Borders – Extra reading time at Innerleithen – Peebleshire News. “Another chapter has been added in the fight to stop a reduction in Innerleithen Library hours. In the face of considerable local opposition to any cuts, council bosses have now agreed to extend the consultation period.” …1000 name petition. “A grassroots campaign was immediately set in motion aimed at staving off any reduction in hours whilst also seeking to ensure that current librarian Elaine Hogarth remains in post.”
- Surrey – Dorking Library to leave Pippbrook site – Get Surrey. “some in Dorking will be saying a fond farewell to the old library in the Gothic Renaissance mansion. Some prefer it to the proposed multi-media facility in St Martins Walk, which is set to open on Monday January 23, Surrey County Council (SCC) has said. Plans for the move were announced in May last year and met with fierce opposition from campaigners.”
We’re cutting back on books
Oct 27th
For the full text of Jeremy Hunt’s answers to the DCMS committee, please see here.
428 libraries (339 buildings and 89 mobiles) currently under threat or closed/left council control since 1/4/11 out of c.4612 in the UK, complete list below. Librarian professional body CILIP forecasts 600 libraries under threat (inc. 20% of English libraries). The Public Libraries News figure is obtained from counting up all reports about public libraries in the media each day.
Things you can do today
- 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
- Challenges facing Britain’s libraries – Sustainable Gov. Good survey of the current problems facing libraries. “The pressure on local authorities to slash their spending has perhaps never been greater, so some sympathy must be afforded to Brent Council. The backlash against their efforts, however, is a striking demonstration of how greatly Britain’s libraries are cherished by the public, and represents a dignified victory for the protestors. But with the matter still yet to be resolved, critics of the council’s decision are forlornly finding that Oscar Wilde’s adage about “knowing the price of everything and the value of nothing” may well be ringing true.”
- Golau Golau exhibtion – Test Space, Leeds, 10th to 13th November. “For ‘Public Interest’, Golau Glau recorded the sound of public libraries under threat of closure, many of which have since closed and therefore are extinct audio environments. The project has encompassed libraries in Leeds, North Yorkshire and Camden, to cover a spread of different library types. Many of the libraries were in deprived and socially isolated places, however some were in affluent areas. One thing remained constant – no library was silent, and every library was unique.”. Includes talk by Lauren Smith.
- Got the Booker? Sorry, we’re cutting back on books – London Evening Standard. “Our figures show that the worst affected London borough is Hounslow where book budgets have been cut by 96 per cent for an entire year in a bid to keep all its 11 libraries open. This means libraries in the area have only £20,772 to share on new books which equates to a budget of about 200 books per library.”
“You can forget about all that stuff that’s interesting, that’s relevant and important. It makes the library completely useless. It’s like having a Marks & Spencer with no food in it. It’s exactly the wrong way to save money and shows idiotic management. It’s not a saving at all, it’s destruction.” Tim Coates.
- Grassroots advocacy: putting yourself out there – American Libraries (USA). “If you are trying to get petition signatures, then go where the foot traffic is, even if that is not near your library. If you are trying to bring the press out, then make sure there is some kind of hook to draw them. Are you trying to rally your supporters in the community? If so, don’t plan an event at 10 a.m. on a workday. Think about what you want in the end, then create the event to fit those goals.”. Superb article on how librarians can energise support which is highly relevant here for library campaigners.
- “I personally have a great emotional attachment to books” – Library Campaign. On Jeremy Hunt’s answers to the DCMS committee. “Hunt’s performance was disappointing, but that was expected; and protestations by politicians about how much they love books are always to be treated with suspicion. What was worse was the lack of interest from the committee members. It demonstrates an anti-library consensus among the political class, whatever party label they may espouse. No wonder people are cynical about MPs.”
- Management changes at National Library of Scotland – STV. “The minister also announced £500,000 funding for local libraries. The money will be given to councils as grants to help improve library services across Scotland.”
[The lack of such simple publicity tools for UK libraries is embarrassing – Ed.]
- Privatization showdown moves to Osceola County, Florida – American Libraries (USA). “After several months of rumors about the future of the Osceola Library System that serves Osceola County, Florida, a series of public hearings that began October 25 are seeking to explain why county officials are considering the outsourcing of library services to Germantown, Maryland–based privatization firm Library Systems and Services, Inc., and how LSSI plans to deliver the services sought. Officials seem to have an uphill battle on their hands to sway their constituents, however: The prospect of privatization has already pitted library supporters and the Florida Library Association against the county commission.”
- Serco Museum by Peter Davies – @MarDixon. Looks at outsourcing/privatisation of museums, with occasional reference to libraries.
- Tale of church and state – Spectator. Following on from Philip Pullman’s “War against Stupid” speech, article looks at the (limited) help the church has given to library campaigns – “This soft support of letters and gentle encouragement is the church’s work these days; vicars, rightly or wrongly, no longer lead their flocks in anything but prayer. Parish priests in Brent and Bolton have avoided direct involvement in the local campaigns, despite the fact that many share the concerns about the effects of closures on the educational opportunities of the poor, the wellbeing of the elderly and the cohesion of a community itself.”
- Threat to Yorkshire music library – Yorkshire Evening Post. “The Yorkshire Libraries and Information Council (YLI) has drawn up proposals to close the music and drama collection “as it currently exists”. Based at Balne Lane Library in Wakefield, the service is supported by 12 local authorities in Yorkshire, including Leeds, and provides subsidised loans of play scripts, vocal scores and orchestral sets.” … ““In typical local government fashion, this decision has been communicated to the library’s current borrowers with extremely short notice leaving them only two weeks to send in their comments.””
Local News
- Brent – Campaigners start their own pop-up library – London Evening Standard. “”The council say people can buy books from Asda, use the internet at home, and get everything on Kindles but many people around here can’t afford those things. It’s nothing short of a betrayal.” … “Donated books are stacked outside the 12ft-high boarding which was erected around Preston Library in Wembley hours after Brent council got the go-ahead to close it.”
- Thousands of Brent library signatures ready for Jeremy Hunt – Harrow Observer. “12,000 names, and hundreds of letters from Brent residents are being handed over at 10am on Thursday (October 27), demanding that Mr Hunt intervenes to reverse the closure of 50 per cent of the borough’s libraries. “
- Special Delivery for Jeremy Hunt – Preston Library Campaign. “At 10 am, we will be presenting Secretary of State, Jeremy Hunt with 12,000 petition signatures and hundreds of letters (400 by kids alone) demanding he fulfil his responsibility to.investigate whether Brent’s new library service is “comprehensive and efficient” (as it should be under Museums.and Libraries Act 1964). He met the council in June, but has he heard our side? Nope. The sheer volume of complaints to him should persuade him to do so.”
- Surrey – Volunteers could be brought in to operate libraries – This is Sussex. “In money-saving plans put forward by Surrey County Council, libraries across the county would be run as Community Partnership Libraries. This means the facilities, including Lingfield Library, would be run by volunteers, and visitors would use self-service points.” … “But members of the Guest House Advisory Committee have attempted to make a deal with the council to retain the library’s staff.”
Volunteer-run libraries are statutory, says Jeremy Hunt?
Oct 27th
The main points here are
- Closures are OK if
- It is the service (not necessarily the building) is protected by, for example, extending hours in surviving libraries.
- The Secretary of State sees buildings run by volunteers as an acceptable alternative to council-run service.
- Proper process is observed.
By far the most important point here is that Mr Hunt seems to be suggesting that the council is still following it’s statutory responsibility if it withdraws funding to certain branches and is successful in getting local people to run them instead.
Addition (prompted by comment by Anonymous below): Please note that this view by Mr Hunt is not shared by many others, including in most cases the council’s themselves. If this represents anything other than an attempt to evade the question by Mr Hunt – that is, if it represents evolving Government thinking – then it is very worrying indeed.
Full text (transcribed from transmission – official transcription not yet done) below
Q. We receive letters about many issues which your brief covers, as you will appreciate. One of the ones that has generated the most concern at the moment is what is happening to local authorities in terms of library services (JH nods). You have a responsibility … there is the 1964 Public Libraries and Museums Act which requires local authorities to provide a comprehensive and efficient library service which is something presumably that you judge as to whether or not that is happening. Can you tell us what do you think is a comprehensive and efficient library service?
Jeremy Hunt. Well, um, the um [looks up to the right] the original definition of comprehensive and efficient came in I believe in something called the Roberts Review of 1959 which preceded the 1964 Public Libraries and Museums Act. That was set up basically to say that comprehensive in that report was really about having a good selection of books at a time when books were more expensive and efficient was actually about reducing the number of library authorities um to reduce um administrative costs um. We take our responsibilities under this Act very very seriously um we um Our basic position is modernisation yes vandalism no um and we have had extensive discussions and engagement with Brent, Lewisham, Somerset, Gloucestershire and the Isle of Wight about their programmes um and it’s probably not appropriate for me to comment in detail on the individual cases because a number of them are going through judicial review proceedings – I think we are going to hear about Somerset and Gloucestershire at the end of this month and I think we are going to hear from the Court of Appeal about Brent next month um The only thing I would say is that you know there are 151 library authorities and um you know around 140 of them are managing to modernise and deal with very difficult cuts in public expenditure without having to have large library closure programmes but by the same merit um what we are here to protect under the ’64 Act I am absolutely clear is not library buildings but library services and I think it is very important that we don’t stand in the way of sensible modernisation but we make sure that um the local authorities really are doing everything they can through their library plans um to see that they are able to maintain good library services.
Q. Um Your website says the closure of one or even a small number of library branches does not necessarily breach the 1964 Act [JH nods] and that suggests that the closure of quite a large number almost certainly is. I mean without wishing you to go into details of authorities, you’re aware that a number are making really quite substantial cuts in their library provision. Do you that some without naming names are likely or will potentially breach the Act?
A. Well, we are monitoring actually really very closely the whole time um but actually um they’re … you know … if I look at the five authorities that we’ve spoken to … The Isle of Wight looks like it has found um a way for the communities to continue running the five libraries that it has withdrawn funding from. Lewisham, also, is in the process of finding a community-led alternative um and um Somerset and Gloucestershire are trying to do that um Brent has taken a different approach but they’re extending library opening at the weekends um to seven days in the six libraries that they are keeping open um I think it’s not actually about the number of buildings that are being closed. It’s about the availability of the service um and it’s about -going through a proper process and thus satisfying ourselves that local authorities are taking a responsibility for their statutory responsibilities to provide a good library service but this is something that we’re monitoring very closely the whole time.
Q. And do you … For the time being at least do you still see the provision of a wide range of actual hard physical things called books a being important? I mean there will come a point when you move as you mention – Ipad revolutionising so many aspects of life where it might become much easier to digitally distribute?
JH. Well, I personally have a great emotion attachment to books. I’m sure that all of us do because you know you’re brought up reading books um you think they’re wonderful but um we … I think we have to um accept as the world changes our commitment must be to reading and to people exploring and enjoying literature in a broad sense and we probably will have um increasingly less commitment to an individual way of reading um but I think libraries and library services have a very important part to play in the new digital world as well so I don’t think that’s a reason for not having good libary services.
Pontius Pilate knew the trick
Oct 26th
Comment
Basically, the old way was pay to keep the library open or close it. Now there is a third way, which is blackmail the local community to do it for free. It is a wonderfully attractive option for councils who are faced with drastic budget reductions and it may well seem better than just closing it, especially if the ideology of the council is pro-Big Society in the first place. It is also better, in the immediate sense, for the community in that at least it still has a library.
In the long-term and nationally, though, this third option is a nightmare. Before I go further, I should make clear that I mean no insult to the volunteers involved – they love their libraries, they’re being forced by their love to work intensely hard for it. They deserve, frankly, medals. They’re not doing this for the sheer joy of it. They’re doing it to save their library. Very interestingly, when I asked 40 library campaigners the question “would you want to run your library instead of the council if the council was happy to continue running it themselves?” none said that they would. Frankly, some seemed confused by the question. These are not people filled with a we-hate-council-run-services zeal. Quite the opposite. They love them so much they’re willing to put their lives into it.
However, long-term I stick by the statement. Why? It instantly devalues libraries to an “anyone can do it” shelves-with-books on model. It also destroys any semblance of worth to the library profession – if volunteers can do it well, doesn’t that make all librarians basically benefit scroungers, con-people who are being paid for doing a fun hobby? Does anyone actually believe that this is the case? If so, would you mind standing still while I repeatedly datestamp your head?
Most importantly, this third way shields the council from fully facing up to the consequence of closing a library. After all, they haven’t. So, they can do it again next year. And again. If a library fails, it’s not their fault. They have a get out of jail free card. If the whole national library service dies in the meantime, it’s not the council’s fault.
Pontius Pilate knew this trick too
428 libraries (339 buildings and 89 mobiles) currently under threat or closed/left council control since 1/4/11 out of c.4612 in the UK, complete list below. Librarian professional body CILIP forecasts 600 libraries under threat (inc. 20% of English libraries). The Public Libraries News figure is obtained from counting up all reports about public libraries in the media each day.
Things you can do today
- 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
- California must value librarians, libraries can’t run themselves – Los Angeles Times. “California paid for my master’s degree in library and information science. While I am grateful to have had the grant and the opportunity to go back to school, I wish now that I had instead trained to be an electrician, a plumber or an auto mechanic. California does not value librarians.”
- Jeremy Hunt to receive library petition – BookSeller. “Secretary of state Jeremy Hunt will be presented with a petition of more than 12,000 signatures tomorrow (27th October), demanding he intervenes to reverse the closure of six libraries in Brent, north London.” …the minister is still silent on all things library related.
- Jeremy Hunt MP, Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport: Annual session with Committee – www.parliament.tv. “The session will be a wide ranging one but issues of current interest likely to be covered include …” [no direct mention of libraries]. In response to an email seen by Public Libraries News, a relevane spokesman responded “The Members of the Committee choose their own questions, but I am certain that they will be asking Mr Hunt about library closures.”. Session to be broadcast live on Parliament TV.
- Libraries need designers – Tara Robertson. “Librarians often complain that people do not respect our professional skills, yet we often believe that we can do our own design work, even though we are not designers. This is as stupid and offensive as people saying we don’t need libraries because we’ve got Google. Google is a tool and not a replacement for a librarian. Adobe’s Creative Suite and a suitcase full of fonts do not make you a designer, it just means that you have some tools.”
- Library Campaign Conference – from local to national – Information Overload. Summary of the conference from a librarian / campaigner.
- March on the DCMS! Open public meeting – Library Campaign. “One of the chief actions to come out of last Saturday’s conference was that we should organise, in February, a national demonstration for public libraries in London, route to include Downing Street and/or the DCMS. One suggestion is that at DCMS, or in Trafalgar Square, we might have a read-in. This is not in opposition to 4 February, 2012, which is National Libraries Day. It could take place later in the month, so that the local activities on 4 February are an opportunity to build for the march.”.
- National Library Campaign Conference – Walk You Home. “I think it helped to put campaigners in touch with information and resources they can benefit from. It’s hard to get the message out to everyone about what we do in Voices for the Library, the resources we have on the site that might be of use, and the network of people with experience of library campaigning that we can put in touch with each other, so the event and subsequent publicity has helped. At the same time, it can be hard to be obvious about our limits to manage expectations – we’re all volunteers working full time jobs, and Voices isn’t a funded organisation. We can’t save libraries all on our own and we need a national network – which is why the day was organised in the first place!”. Two action points are (1) organise national wiki for campaign groups and (2) arrange a national protest event.
- Providing a service – BookSeller. Looks at volunteering in libraries – they provide an excellent service, sometimes the only service, but at what cost? “I think where people feel short-changed is the idea that libraries can be run exactly as before, but instead of paying people (after all library staff are known for their profligate ways) we will get unpaid volunteers to do it for nothing. Why should the government take advantage like this? And can the service provided really be as good? As a commenter on The Bookseller site recently asked: “Would you be happy to be treated by volunteer doctors and have your children taught by volunteer teachers?”. On the other hand, most people would rather have some sort of library service than nothing at all.”
“We are extremely concerned that the Government is currently consulting on whether existing statutory protection for public libraries should be retained.
We believe that libraries provide a valuable service for local communities, access to books for those who cannot afford them, the provision of business information and opportunities for self-directed learning, education and literacy. Not to mention somewhere quiet for homework, or access to the internet. Many libraries give children their first introduction to the world of books and learning.
The Labour Party is running a campaign with a petition to save our libraries which can be found here: http://www.campaignengineroom.org.uk/save-our-libraries.”
Changes
Bolton – The five libraries slated for closure have now been made open for groups to take over, business plans need to be with council by 5th December.
Central Bedfordshire – Consultation until 18th January 2012.
Local News
- Bolton – Councils throw libraries a lifeline – This is Lancashire. “Volunteer groups are being given the chance to run one of the five closing libraries in the town. Finance chiefs at Bolton Council are inviting people to submit business plans for each of the libraries.Application forms go online today and groups have until December 2 to draft their initial proposals.”. However, groups will need to pay rent and pay for all costs, including in one case £57,000 in repairs.
- Central Bedfordshire – Don’t keep your voice down – About My Area. “Residents across Central Bedfordshire are being encouraged to get involved in shaping the future of libraries, following the successful Big Library debate over the summer. The council received over 2000 responses from local residents and stakeholders, and is using all the feedback collected to inform the future direction of local services.”
- Dorset – Hope for threatened libraries in West Dorset – Bridport News. “Dorset County Council agreed to have a second vote on the future of the service … Coun Dover has used council procedures that allow the vote to be retaken after she submitted an application signed by ten fellow councillors, all members of her party.”
- Hertfordshire – Out-of-hours library plans a step closer for Hertfordshire – Watford Observer. More on plan to allow charities to use library out of hours as long as they help if someone wants to take out a book. ““We hope this innovative and exciting initiative will make libraries more like community hubs than simply learning resources. This will benefit our communities and help build stronger links with voluntary groups in Hertfordshire.”
- Northern Ireland – Local politicians condemn library closure – Mid-Ulster Mail. “During the so-called consultation process and other subsequent meetings with Libraries NI representatives it was increasingly obvious from their attitude that they were intent on closing as many libraries as possible in order to save money and resources.”
- Waltham Forest – Leytonstone: library closure petition voted down – Guardian series. “Harrow Green Library in Leytonstone will close within weeks despite a full council debate on a petition against the move” … 5000 name petition. “The petition was voted down by the council’s Labour majority, who agreed to press ahead with the closure, with the Conservatives abstaining and the Liberal Democrats voting in support.”
- Wandsworth – Join us on 1st November when we reopen – Save York Gardens. “York Gardens Library and Community Centre will be hosting a reopening event on Tuesday 1st November from 6pm to 8pm. The Mayor of Wandsworth will be joining us to formally reopen the library, which was due to close over the summer. Fortunately, the community campaign to save the library means that the doors of the library will once again be open to readers and the community rooms will be available to hire at new reduced rates.”
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