News

Children with internet access at home gain exam advantage, charity says – Guardian.  Lack of internet can mean a difference in a grade but there are many with no internet access and government aid to improve access has all but stopped. This article is examined from a library perspective by the Voices for the Library post  “Will library closures leave children behind?” which says “The belief that libraries are no longer required when ‘everyone’ has an internet connection is one of the driving forces behind proposed closures.  Such misinformation is endangering the economic prosperity of an entire generation”
Communities need money not gimmicks – Independent (leading article).  “As Phillip Blond, one of the original cheerleaders for the Big Society, has warned, libraries are closing now and there is simply insufficient time for charities or neighbourhood groups to get organised and take over the running of these valuable social assets.”
Dispatch from Iraq – New Statesman.  “That free public libraries are a democratising force is strongly apparent in Iraq, which suffered the near-obliteration of its libraries under the Ba’athist dictatorship.”… “As more of our libraries are closed down in the UK, it is instructive to remember just what an important role they play in a democratic society. In 1852, for instance, Charles Dickens opened the first free public lending library in Manchester, built upon the philosophy of providing “wisdom for all, regardless of background”.
Roy Clare’s last words – M&H. 
Top 20 Facebook apps for book lovers – Galleycat.  
Vital role libraries play in award winning books – Futurebook. Croydon local studies staff gave vital support in helping author of Sherlock Holmes book of the year. “It’s easy for us to forget the role libraries play in a world where everyone assumes that all facts are available on the web. Virtually all the new facts unearthed for this book don’t appear anywhere on the web and were buried deep in books and newspaper archives that are unlikely to ever make it onto the web.”
We’re not dragons in pearls, say librarians, we’re just misunderstood – Sydney Morning Herald (Australia).  New South Wales is the only state that mandates every school has to have a librarian, but funding decreasing as colleagues fail to understand their role.

Changes to library services by authority

Oxfordshire – None will close this year.  Funding guaranteed until 2012.
Wakefield –  Westgate Library to be opened in 2012, merged with Wakefield Museum.
Worcestershire – Council meeting May 2011 to be followed by public consultation, may include more volunteers and less opening hours, previous reports of threatened libraries unconfirmed.

News by library authority

East Riding of Yorkshire – Libraries buck the national trend – AboutMyArea.  Up 2% issues, 5% visitors. “East Riding of Yorkshire Council is committed to investing in libraries, which is demonstrated by the works carried out at both Snaith and North Ferriby libraries, which have modernised the venues.”
Essex – Voluntary charity tours libraries – Daily Gazette.   This does not appear to be involved in recruiting volunteers for libraries. 
Leicestershire – Library hours set to be reduced in cost-cutting measure – Lutterworth Mail.
Milton Keynes – Survey – Friends of Stony Stratford Library.
Oxfordshire – Libraries get a stay of execution – Oxford Mail.  Libraries will have secure funding until 2012 giving communities a chance to work out rescue plans for closing ones.  Also covered by the BookSeller.
Oxfordshire – Visits to libraries under threat increase 7 percent – Henley Standard.  Average county increase of 2%,
Sheffield – City leader attacks cuts “cynicism” – Yorkshire Post.  New Labour control of Sheffield has examined outgoing Lib Dem cuts – “For example there is the £1.4m for libraries, that was a single line in the budget, and they said no libraries will close. But what they told the library service was that they would need to apply that cut and keep buildings open, without any indication of how.”
Wakefield – Site share plan for library and museum – PSE.  Wakefield museum and library could be on merged into the new Westgate Library building.
Worcestershire – Library futures to come under scrutiny – Evesham Observer.  Council meeting this week followed by public consultation.  Increased “role” for communities, opening hours to be cut.

News

Amazon.com selling more kindle books than print books – Amazon. “We had high hopes that this would happen eventually, but we never imagined it would happen this quickly” says founder.
Birmingham City Council care funding cuts unlawful – BBC.  A legal decision with implications for protecting public libraries (which are a statutory service) – “councils can no longer take it for granted that they can keep on cutting back on social care – a statutory service after all – just because money is tight.”

“We delivered our folders to both the DCMS and No 10 as arranged. Huge thanks to those who turned out to help.  Better, that the police and authorities allowed us to stand right outside the offices of the DCMS.  Even banners were tied to the columns! All the books, not wanted by Lewisham libraries, were given away, with leaflets.  Plenty of photo calls, too! No 10 was great too, more photo calls!…” Pat and Peter Richardson, Users and Friends of Manor House Library. 

Danger of the Kindle Lending library – ORG Zine.   “‘Amazon now has more power than any other book company on earth. And yes, you damn well better be afraid of this.” 

“I was interviewing a pupil in a foreign country last week and mentioned how public spending cuts meant libraries were closing in the UK. He look bemused. “Why would anyone want to do that?” he asked. Answers on a postcard, please” Chalk Talk: Independent.

In defence of the library – Dan Zambonini. “If you haven’t visited a library for a while, I urge you to take 20 minutes out of your weekend and give one a try.”
Newsflash: print isn’t dead – Futurebook.  4% increase in US print titles (cf. 169% for ebooks).

Changes to library tally

Leeds – 13 to close (Allerton Bywater, Armley Heights, Belle Isle, Broad Lane, Holbeck, Ireland Wood, Kirkstall, Lofthouse, Osmondthorpe, Richmond Hill, Swarcliffe, Swillington and Swinnow) Rawdon and Cow Close libraries will stay open until March 2012 to allow volunteers time to organise takeover.

News by local library authority

Buckinghamshire – Council chief loses out in leadership contest – Buckinghamshire Advertiser.  “”I think they (Conservative members) just felt it was time to move on – there was dissatisfaction over libraries, roads and the school to transport issues – but probably no more than in other parties. I think some members believe the council haven’t dealt with these issues very well.”
Camden – Historians fear for the future of “irreplaceable” collection as libraries budget faces 25% cut – Camden New Journal.  Camden Archives based at Holborn Library may be merged with Islington Archives or closed completely.
Conwy – Conwy Council consults over libraries future – North Wales Weekly News.  7 out of 12 may close – consultation in two parts with “stakeholders” until end of May the a wider consultation in July. 
Dorset – Beaminster: library popularity on the rise – View Online.  “We accept that libraries serve many other purposes than merely lending out books but that is what most people expect of them. And on that basis, last year the county’s bigger libraries lost business, while some of the smaller libraries lent more books than in the year before.”
Dorset – Book loan figures from libraries slammed by campaigners – Bridport News.   Reduced usage caused by reduce opening hours.  “I am not overly surprised at the decrease in usage,” said Ms Williams. “Since we started the library campaign, we have heard consistently from the users of our library that they are not happy with the service operated by the county. The library is currently only open for 20 hours per week and we hear from all sections of the population that this is not sufficient.”
Essex – Cuts to library opening hours announced – Epping Forest Guardian.  No library in Essex will remain open on Sundays. [Comment below – thank you – makes clear that Sunday opening continues in some branches outside of the Epping Forest area]
Leeds – Rawdon Library gets stay of execution – Wharfedale Observer.  Rawdon Library will close in 2012 rather than in 2011. Friends group willing to take it over as volunteer run.
Leeds – Council presses ahead with Leeds library plan – but two get last-minute lifeline – Guardian.  Cow Close and Rawdon Libraries will stay open until March 2012 to allow for volunteers to take over. 13 others to close this year. Mobile libraries will serve areas.  Council Leader “many people at Allerton Bywater see the introduction of a mobile service as an improvement to the existing service, which was only open a few hours on a Saturday.  Reported by BBC as Leeds City Council to close 13 libraries. 

News

BBC Radio 4 : Libraries Protest DCMS – 12 Noon Wednesday 18th May. BBC Radio 4’s ‘You and Yours’  will be covering the demonstration organised by Lewisham libraries campaigners which will take place at DCMS.  This coverage will be followed by discussion.
Boys “can’t read past 100th page”study says – BBC

“Much of the UK public library pain is mirrored in the USA, but whereas it seems to me that US cuts are being predominantly handled purely as a cash-crisis necessity, the UK’s cuts are being driven equally strongly by a centrally-held political agenda.” Branch libraries – missing in action? – Kestrel Info On A Wing (Canada). 

Colorado libraries host immigrants working to become citizens – Denver Post (USA).
Learning resources should not be concentrated solely on the young – Guardian.  “victories are very likely to be wiped out by public expenditure cuts (examples are pre-school provision, libraries and the arts).”
Local library campaigns – UNISON.   “The effects of cuts across local government have been keenly felt by library services up and down the UK, with local authorities earmarking hundreds of libraries for closure and many more under threat from cuts to opening hours and staff pay and conditions.”…
Localism Bill – In pursuit of little platoons, Pickles uproots the state – Guardian.  “if the money doesn’t cover all that councils are obliged to do, this bill gives him the power to revoke any inconvenient duty on councils. Parliament has painstakingly passed laws obliging councils to do things we regard as essential to civilisation, but this gives ministers Henry VIII powers to strike any of them out at a stroke.”.  One of the statutes it may revokes if the 1964 Libraries Act.
New legislation could save libraries from the privatisation beast – SEIU (USA).  California bill AB 438 would require public approval before council is allowed to privatise libraries.
Quercus publisher of the year at the BookSeller industry awards – BookSeller.  “The London Borough of Hillingdon Libraries was crowned Library Innovation of the Year for its library refurbishment programme, which was described by one judge as helping to make libraries “a better place to visit”.”
They don’t know what librarians do (yet again) – Libraryinfonews.  Self-Service, Ebooks and the Internet are not making librarians redundant. 
World Book Night giveaway to be cut to 500,000 books – BookSeller.  5,000 out of 25,000 givers already signed up for 2012.  Audio and digital giveaways to be included. 

News by local authority

Bolton – Save Bolton Libraries – Alan Gibbons.  7000-signature petition to be handed in on Friday as consultation ends on closing 9 libraries.  15000 names have now been added to all petitions.
Buckinghamshire – Books boost for Little Chalfont Library – Amersham Advertiser. Skipton Building Society gives £1000 to volunteer-run library. 
Dorset – Campaigners argue that small libraries are cost effective – Dorset Echo.   Smaller libraries are seeing stronger usage trends than larger libraries, with increases/decreases better than in the biggest libraries like Dorchester or Weymouth.
Dorset – Report highlights Dorset villagers’ resilience to cuts – Dorset Echo.   Widespread reaction to greater than expected cuts split into protest and working out what is possible to do without government money.
Enfield – Jobs help on offer at revamped Ordnance Road Library – Enfield Independent.  Refurbishment and expansion seems to lessen chances the library will be one of three closed later this year.
Leeds – Misuse of taxes – Yorkshire Evening Post (letters).  Mobile libraries ordered to replace closing libraries before consultation ends.  No cuts at HQ.  15 trade union officials paid for by council.
Leeds – Council urged to “think again” over Leeds library closure plans – Guardian.  Decision to close 15 libraries to go before council on May 18th…”the news that the library is set to close is a huge blow for local residents. The library itself is one of the last public buildings left standing in Rawdon and to lose it forever would really damage the sense of community identity we have here.”
Southampton – Walkout will be “most severe” in Southampton’s memory – This is Hampshire.  ““While I fully understand any reduction in wages will be difficult for our staff, this is the only way to protect our residents from losing their libraries, leisure centres, and Sure Start Centres.”

This line is taken from a poem on the Friends of Benson Library website.  It sums up the tragedy of closing smaller libraries.  Their usage may be smaller than the big “central” ones but they are no less loved.  Perhaps they are even more loved.  The Envisioners agree with this, identifying three key pillars of the local community – the school, the church and, yes, the library.  Villages and small towns are feeling pain and trauma at the potential loss of one-third of their support, sometimes decided with what seems like too much haste or consulation. Perhaps the poetic quote can be extended. If libraries are the village heart then closing one unnecessarily is like doing a heart bypass operation, without anaesthetic.

News

Future of public libraries – Envisioners.  Presentation to Society of Chief Librarians from 1st July last year.  Three pillars of local community is (1) schools (2) libraries and (3) churches so… take the lead, do and not be done to.  Libraries are a “pleasantly mad place”.
Future of the library – Seth’s Blog.  “Librarians that are arguing and lobbying for clever ebook lending solutions are completely missing the point. They are defending library as warehouse as opposed to fighting for the future, which is librarian as producer, concierge, connector, teacher and impresario.” … “We need librarians more than we ever did. What we don’t need are mere clerks who guard dead paper. Librarians are too important to be a dwindling voice in our culture. For the right librarian, this is the chance of a lifetime.”
Random launches libraries “buddying” scheme – BookSeller.  This is to promoter the publishers’ books and help promote libraries at the same time.
Why we need public libraries and Charge net users – Yorkshire Evening Post.  Ten reasons for public libraries inc saving money, literacy, services for children, services for grandparents, online resources, book group, authors, librarian skills, job hunting, equality.

Changes to tally

City of London –  Guildhall Library will remain open on Saturdays, City Business Library will close on Saturdays. London Metropolitan Archives to open four days per week but will open until 7.30 Tuesday to Thursday to compensate.

News by authority

Brent – Alan Bennett joins Brent libraries fundraiser – Londonist.  “Campaigners are gearing up for a legal challenge to the decision. This is going to cost some cash, so they’ve organised a fundraiser with Alan Bennett for 24th May. That’s Alan freaking Bennett: Beyond the Fringe, chronicler of the people, author of some of the best plays we’ve ever seen at the National Theatre.”
City of London – User consultation results – City of London. Guildhall Library will remain open on Saturdays, City Business Library will close on Saturdays.
Doncaster – Doncaster council workers balloted for strike action – BBC.  1300 jobs to go this year.  “Unison cites the loss of the warden service for elderly residents and the mooted closure of libraries and home care services as evidence cuts were negatively affecting the community.”
Leicestershire – Anger as library opening hours to be slashed – Burton Mail.  Measham Library may reduce from 20 hours per week to 13. Final decision in July.
Lewisham – Campaigner plan more protests over Lewisham library closures – News Shopper.   Protest at Lewisham Town Hall and then moving on to DCMS.

Oxfordshire – Library fight – Henley Standard. Friends of Benson Library will formally launch campaign on Saturday.  
Sheffield – Libraries consultation 2011 – Sheffield City Council. 

Changes to tally

Camden – 25% cut, 40% cut in opening hours.  Libraries still under threat but may not close outright.  King’s Cross may be rebuilt in new Town hall complex, Crowndale Centre library may move to new Camden High Street site, Regent’s Park may become study centre with new library built instead, Local Studies Archive may close.  Decision in early June.
Croydon – Decision to close six libraries postponed until 2012. 23 library jobs lost April 2011. Another 26 likely to go in order to make £700k saving. 
Norfolk – 10% cut in hours in all libraries proposed
Sheffield – 3 (out of 4) mobiles to be closed, 33 library staff to be made redundant, reduced opening hours, £1.4m cut

News

Are volunteers happy to run libraries? – Voices for the Library.   Councils asking communities to run libraries is the equivalent of blackmailing them.  The fact communities are willing to consider running them shows how important they are and how they should continue to be funded.
Can they sell the libraries? – New Law Journal.  Literary and Scientific Institutions Act 1854 may prevent some library closures. 
Coalition government is “anti-book” – Politics.  BookSeller shows government’s record on libraries, schools and literacy speaks volumes. 
Costing public library use – Voices for the Library.  Family has added up cost of all of the books it has borrowed from public libraries – £150 per month.
Council outsourcing plans “will take time to implement” – Odgers Berndtson.  U-turn in Suffolk suggests divesting libraries and other services may take five to ten years, rather than two.

“The report, Council spending: making it clear, shows some of the biggest cuts across the country will take place in education funding – down 11.4% – and cultural services, including libraries, which will be reduced by 10.2%. Environmental spending will fall by 3.72%.” Council spending cuts hitting North more than South – PublicFinance. 

Great to have a net champion, but let’s see more backing for a reading champion – Alan Gibbons.  “In 2000 the international reading rankings (PISA) placed the UK in seventh position. We have now soared…to 25th.”
Libraries are in crisis, but literary culture is thriving – Guardian.   Reading groups doing well despite decline of libraries and may be in a small way a replacement for them.
Library cuts hit staff and users: time for action against the cuts – Socialist. Less staff and more work means less service.
Red tape review threat to services – Guardian.   “The only frontline services that the website states will be protected are libraries and child protection.”
Support your library, CWA tells authors – BookSeller.  “The Crime Writers Association (CWA) is asking each of its members to do at least three events a year for their local library as part of a campaign to support the public library service in the face of widespread cutbacks.”
Torture legal aid case is a triumph of the rule of law – Guardian.   The right for legal aid for “pure public interest cases” upheld in court. Witholding legal aid “the perfect cover for decision-makers to eliminate bothersome services such as legal aid, or aspects of the state that don’t fit within their own agendas such as libraries”
Volunteering plans “too ambitious” says Volunteering England policy manager – ThirdSector.   Worries (see comments) that “right to challenge” under Localism Bill would not be exercised by community groups but rather by private companies.
Which local politician is the most incompetent in terms of the public library service? – Twtpoll. Mark Hawthorne (leader of Gloucestershire) storms home with 60% of the vote.

News by authority

Barnet – Campaigners plan a picnic protest while councillors are “hobnobbing” – Barnet Today.  Protesters suspect council AGM will be celebratory banquet.  ““It seems they haven’t registered the fact they have made more than 100 people redundant, libraries are merging, the Church Farmhouse Museum has closed, Barnet Museum is fighting to stay open and lots of people are very concerned about privatisation.”
Bradford – Mobile library to visit Denholme, Wrose, Heaton, Addingham and Wilsden libraries – Advertiser.  As an alternative to the branch libraries closing in each one in June.

Brent – £5 donations needed for library legal action – Harrow Observer.   Brent SOS Libraries set up to represent all threatened libraries.  £30,000 needed for judicial review, with Bindmans LLP acting on their behalf. Also covered by the BookSeller.
Brent – Mayor-making in Brent disrupted by anti-library cuts protesters – Harrow Observer.  Councillors shocked that protesters upset “non-political” meeting, claim Lib Dem plot.
Cambridgeshire – £36,000 to keep libary safe – Cambridge News.  Councillor says this much money would keep local library open, local observer says “I do understand the county’s position but I think they haven’t really got a clear idea about where the funding and provision for this library is going to come from.”
Camden – “Friends” groups are poised to rescue threatened libraries from shutdowns – Camden New Journal.   2500 out of 6000 responders to survey said would consider volunteering to save threatened libraries.
Croydon – Campaigner’s book buying to mark Norbury Library’s 80th anniversary – Croydon Guardian.   80 books will be bought to give to library as part of Save Norbury Library’s street party.

“The loss of highly qualified staff must have an impact. We have lost both staff numbers and qualified librarians at our library. The staff we have are wonderful but now work under such pressure as we seem to have dropped to only two staff on duty at any one time, and only one during breaks. We have a qualified librarian only one day a month now. Yes Sara, we have noticed!”  Comment below Croydon – Under threat Croydon library’s given 12 month reprieve – Croydon Guardian.  Massive public response means libraries to kept open but 47 staff are in the process of being lost. Also reported in the BookSeller.

Cumbria – Campaigners fight to save Seaton Library – Times & Star.  Petition started by residential home manager – “She said that about 20 of the residents in the home, which is opposite the library, regularly used it. They said it meant everything to them.”.
Dorset – As Lib campaign: Library concessions “don’t go far enough” – Bridport News.  Divested libraries will have access to council network and some staff but will need a lot of volunteers.
Dorset – Ad Lib urges Dorset Council to spend less on library books – Dorset Echo.  Campaigners say service holds more books than it has shelves to put them on.  Council leader responds in same newspaper with Council chief says good stock turnover is essential to library users
Gloucestershire – Mobile library services across the county are being withdrawn –  Hartpury residents are “enraged by a letter from council leader Mark Hawthorne saying it would be cheaper for the council to buy books from Amazon and give them to Hartpury residents, than continue to run the mobile library service.”.  “Virtual” library service for the needy to be offered instead.
Isle of Wight – Minister calls council in over library plans – VentnorBlog.  Ed Vaizey calls in council to present their plans to DCMS officials.
Lambeth – This is not just about balancing the books – South London Press.   Council looks at usage of each branch.  Commission to look at libraries invited public responses.
Leeds – Axe falls on 15 Leeds libraries – Yorkshire Evening Post.  Closed libraries will be “freed up assets” and allow 100,000 more hours of computer use, 41 more hours open and no permanent staff losses.
Leeds – Under threat library crisis talks – Yorkshire Evening Post.  Friends of Rawdon Library say “We know that libraries are evolving, but we want evolution not closure.”  

“Ever since these proposals were first mooted, the people of both Scholes and Shadwell united in their determination to oppose the closures. The level of engagement from local residents on this issue has been nothing short of staggering and this clearly has had a huge bearing on the outcome of the consultation.” Leeds – Scholes and Shadwell libraries saved from the axe – Wetherby News.   Howeverm Shadwell likely to cease being council controlled in 2012.

Lewisham – Eco Computer Systems owner Darren Taylor vows to make Lewisham libraries better – News Shopper.   One full-time librarian in each branch plus volunteers.  New Cross may be closed – New Cross Community Library Campaign group formed.
Norfolk – Norfolk libraries’ opening hours cut planned – BBC.  10% cut is an option in consultation.
Northamptonshire – Group formed to fight closure of a Northampton Library – Northampton Chronicle.  Friend of St James’ Library group to be formed to fight potential closure of “least-used” library.
Northern Ireland – Libraries closure decision delayed – Mid-Ulster Mail.  Decision to be made in September.
North Yorkshire – Budget cuts deal could be lifeline for North Yorkshire libraries – Craven Herald & Pioneer.  Massive response to public consultation means councillors will re-examine proposals to cut 24 libraries. Budget cut will still need to happen at same scale – cuts could be more evenly spread out. “I expect North Yorkshire was rather taken by surprise at how much feeling there was about the libraries.” says campaigner.  Decision next week.  More info on Public outcry could save libraries from the axe – Gazette & Herald.  
North Yorkshire – Library cuts idea rejected – Press.  Liberal councillor suggested spreading cuts more evenly throughout authority.  Voted down.
Oxfordshire – Summertown campaigners “prepared to buy library” – Oxford Times.  Friends of Summertown Library are in the process of turning into a registered charity.  £7k already raised – group starting feasibility study to rebuild expanded library on same site.
Sheffield – Library vans hit by cuts – Sheffield Telegraph. 3 out of 4 mobile libraries and 33 staff to be axed, opening hours to be cut. Consultation is “nothing of the sort” says user.
Somerset – Library to have its opening hours cut – This is Somerset.  Frome’s hours to be cut in October. 
Somerset – Porlock extraordinary meeting to discuss cuts – Somerset County Gazette.   Parish gains £7k from rates from library building, may lose library, visitor information centre, museum and recreation ground.
Somerset – Mixed news for Highbridge and Burnham’s libraries – This is the West Country.   7.5 hours less opening for Burnham, Highbridge to be “divested”
Somerset – Opening hours at Burnham On Sea library to be cut by 20% – Burnham on Sea.com.  7.6 hours less per week during least busy times.
Somerset – Proposals for libraries – View Online.   Lists cuts in hours in individual libraries and increased offer for volunteers taking over libraries.
Suffolk – New council leader Mark Bee pledges to work with communities over libraries – Evening Star.  Some closures but on the other hand not many and new libraries could be created. However, no clear news yet and campaigners still worried.
Warwickshire – Library may move to stay afloat – Redditch Standard.  Studley Library may relocate as High Street library closes.  Locals want council-run public library but will run volunteer one if it closes, “strength of public feeling” means council looking at alternative venues and funding.