News 

• Analysis: The onward march of the leisure trust – ThirdSector.  Review of Trusts noting that granting charitable status was (and is) controversial “by permitting charities to carry out services that councils are bound by law to provide, such as libraries”.  Excellent (rare) report describing both the pros and cons of Trusts.
• Library Association welcomes Labour’s positive stance on free public libraries – Lianza (New Zealand).  “In this time of technological change it is crucial that the principle of freedom of access to information, irrespective of format, is enshrined in law. There is currently a risk that some local authorities will treat the introduction of e-books as an income generating opportunity”.
• Morgan to be Arts Council libraries director – BookSeller.  Nicola Morgan of the MLA will be new libraries boss, seeing her job as “an exciting new chapter” to “take forward libraries’ vital and enduring role in our communities in spreading reading, learning, and access to information.”
• Parents “must let children choose what they read” – Guardian. “make sure children talk directly to a librarian or a bookseller, while parents stand well back”. 
• Plans to move gov online “lack cyber-security” says MPs – Register.  “It said the efficiency reform group should continue to make online services accessible via libraries, which have recently faced closures and cuts, as well as through post offices and other public spaces.”
• Premier League Reading Stars – National Literacy Trust.  Chance for public libraries to receive major football backing free of charge. 
• Review of library statutory duties – Voices for the Library.  Government review of all duties (including the requirement for a “comprehensive and efficient” library service) now closed.  “The greatest numbers of responses, due to the campaign generated interest, were on: planning (including duties regarding allotments), children and young people, and libraries”… “we can see that support for public library services remains strong, which is extremely encouraging and positive, but at the same time there may also be a risk that these services can still be eroded via other routes.”
• Shush No More – Voices for the Library (Nilam Ashra-McGrath) – “who will listen to these voices? Will it be the mid-level policy adviser, fast-tracked through the civil service graduate scheme, who now finds himself in the midst of the library storm with his hands clapped firmly over his ears? I hope someone’s listening.”
• Travelling to Taiwan? Free public Wi-Fi launched in Taipei – TNW.  Free Wifi in all libraries in Taipei, to be extended to blanket coverage of the capital by end of year.

Changes

Cambridgeshire – 48% cut over 5 years inc.  29 out of 45 managers to lose jobs. 
Enfield – 20% budget cut.

Local News

• Bromley – Chick lit author Adele Parks officially opens Orpington Library with MP Jo Johnson – News Shopper.  “I firmly believe that people’s lives are enhanced by reading so it’s wonderful to see this facility available to local communities.”
• Cambridgeshire – Public libraries – Meandering the Bookshelves.  “The situation is incredibly tough – 48% base savings needed over 5 years, but their remedy seems akin to a bloodbath rather than just tough medicine.”
• Carmarthenshire – Library group in cuts battle – News Shopper.   “This is the eighth fortnightly gathering since Carmarthenshire Council announced the intended closure of three Gwendraeth Valley libraries — Pontyates, Pontyberem and Tumble — by March 31.”
• Dorset – Campaigners unite to fight Wool village library closure – Daily Echo.  Campaigners say it makes no economic, social or geographic sense to close the only static library, and one of the last public services, in an a largely rural area and one which is already part-funded by the parish council.
• Dorset – High profile tories back library campaign – Dorset Echo and Top tories back plan to keep Dorset libraries open – Daily Echo.  Local newspapers report support of Lord Fellowes and Oliver Letwin.
• Enfield – Council survey shows library closures possible – Enfield Independent.   20% budget cuts means closing (“consolidating”)  libraries “likely”.
• Gloucestershire – Court Hearing for Permission for Judicial Review against Gloucestershire County Councils drastic library cuts http://tinyurl.com/66aogzy Thur 10.30am (arrive 10am as security queue likely).
• Hampshire – Streamlined mobile library service set to be launched – Salisbury Journal.  “Streamlined” means “cut”. 
• Isle of Wight – Cautious welcome for Bembridge Library decision – Ventnor Blog.   Bembridge will have maintained opening hours until end of September to allow for volunteers to be trained – already this has included IT training and will soon include shadowing of library staff.  Users group would greatly prefer council to keep lease and maintain some paid staffing.  
• Oxfordshire – County libraries need your support – Oxford Mail.   “the public need to understand this is only if we largely staff it ourselves with volunteers. This seems very hard when other libraries, which cost more and are used less, will apparently be fully staffed.”
• Somerset – Communities in Somerset planning library takeover – BBC.  Bishops Lydeard and several others about to be taken over by volunteers, with free buildings, enthusiasm and furniture but not much else.
• Somerset – Reduced mobile library routes in Somerset revealed – BBC.  “Details of the changes will be sent out to mobile library users over the next few weeks. The county council has also said static libraries which could have their funding cut may be offered a mobile library service as a replacement.”  Also Mobile library cuts attacked by MP – Mercury 24. “Wells MP Tessa Munt described the cuts as “a grossly exaggerated response to the Conservative council’s aim to cut the libraries budget by 25 per cent over three years.” 
• Waltham Forest – Churches unite to fight library closure – Guardian Series.  “In this part of the borough we have a lot of elderly people who use the library services and by doing what it is proposing, the council is expecting them to travel further away.”  Conservatives accuse Labour council of wishing to close libraries in areas where there are few Labour voters.

“Sources, from with the Warwickshire Library Service, tell me there is no news, just a lot of anxiety. But they (being employees) are expecting to hear that the library management are likely to recommend all 16 library closures. This employee has been looking at survey results and not one agrees with proposals. The majority are vehemently against where others have questioned the consultation format. He/She concluded saying WCC have been canny, stating that they want Community Libraries rather than just closing them. This may of stopped any protests – shame as libraries really are doomed.” Warwickshire – Libraries overview and scrutiny meeting Monday 11 July everyone please attend – What’s in Kenilworth.  16 libraries face threat of closure, councillors have only three days to read report.

• Wokingham – Borough libraries are owed £55,000 – Get Wokingham.  “Mr Alexander said the money owed in arrears would be taken over by the new management company along with books which were already out on loan.”  

“Reading is origin of “taking the biscuit”. Huntley & Palmer gave free biscuits to 1st class passengers. Closed 1976. Tins in Reading museum”

• Beach fatties strain the limits of liberalism: as does the sight of our libraries minister exposing his feebleness in public – Independent (DJ Taylor).  Ed Vaizey is the only minister whose performance has been “unremittingly feeble”.  “The Bookseller recently described this Government as an “anti-books regime”. It is worse than that. It is anti-cultural.”. 
• Biteback – Sunday Times (behind paywall). “Richard Brooks, Editor of the SUNDAY TIMES Culture Section in his Biteback column ( Behind the pay wall) writes about Ed Vaizey being “in a spot”. “He has no direct say over cuts made by local authorities, which run libraries, but has the power to intervene if damage is being done. How and when do you define damage?” (courtesy of Desmond Clarke).
• Between the covers – Independent.  “All power to the Women’s Institute and its Love Your Libraries campaign, which is encouraging members to join their local libraries, lobby councillors and sign a petition. (David Cameron promised to hold a debate on any petition with more than 100,000 signatures; the WI has about 205,000 members.) We look forward to the film version, in which Helen Mirren leans across a naked Celia Imrie and says: “Lawrence, we’re going to need considerably bigger John Bunyans.” 
• Debate about cuts is obscuring the real problem about public libraries – Good Libraries Blog.  Tim Coates blames the management of libraries – need more books, more opening hours, less managers, better book supply… “the real problems of the library service we are defending it for what it ought to be like and not what it is like”. 
• Great purge of our libraries – Quadrant (Australia).   Removing books from academic libraries due to digitisation means world vulnerable to cyber-attack, censorship and the loss of vital works.  Compares the currrent situation to the burning of books during Henry VIII’s time.

• Libraries – the new frontline in cuts row – Channel Four News.  Glos legal hearing this week seen as national test case.  Lechlade group and mobile library user interviewed.  Cllr Hawthorne says local communities want to take over libraries, campaigners say it was purely an ultimatum – run them yourselves or council will close them. Public Interest Lawyers say council is in “clear breach” of its duties “…you cannot have central and local government able to act outside the law”.  Also Channel Four news article Libraries latest battleground in legal fight against cuts.
• Library is booming after first year – Leader (Australia). Extended Tasmanian library now has cafe, more seating, more computers, more meeting rooms, “imaginarium” and “digital pod”, usage up more than a third on one year ago.

• Dorset  – Campaigners urge Dorset County Council to save library jobs – Dorset Echo.  Campaign for save 10 libraries would mean 6 jobs lost rather than 24. “The campaign group is now calling on the public service union Unison to back its fight as they say the matter has now become a jobs issue.Acting chairman Tim Lee said: “It looks obvious to us that the union representing library staff should want to back our campaign.”
• Ealing – Decisions on the libraries, and on the taxicard scheme – Ealing Today.  “Ranjit Dheer (Lab) presented the report as portfolio holder. Ranjit said, “we bow to the wishes of the Borough’s residents and keep the libraries open” but that we need to look at how to deliver this in the longer term in the context of the cuts. He floated the possibility of setting up a charitable trust and pointed out that the fact that the nearly 1,000 potential volunteers that have come forward “fits in well with the Big Society agenda”… then went to say he had “never read a book in his life”.  
• Gloucestershire – Cllr Hawthorne continues to spin: whilst this time Newnham Library Group  sets the record straight – FoGL.  Newnham and Lechlade groups have taken issue with the Glos leader’s statement that they want to take over the libraries.  Rather, they are only considering it as a last resort.  
• Herefordshire – Council scraps mobile library service – BBC.   All mobile libraries to be stopped by the Autumn. 
• Isle of the Wight – What news of the Island? – Alan Gibbons.  Legal Aid has been repeatedly delayed to library campaigners apparently due to Government interference.  Independence of the LSC (who provide the funds) questioned.  Decision on if Isle of Wight legal challenge will received Legal Aid “imminent”. 
• Milton Keynes – Summer Reading Challenge 2011 – Milton Keynes Libraries.  Council asks for volunteers to support Circus Stars. 
• West Sussex – Chief’s pay-off – West Sussex County Times.  £400,000 given to leaving boss. He received the money even though he was “sacked”.  “I think councils in general are looking in the wrong areas to make cuts and want to look more closely at overpaid salaries, before they even think about closing libraries and other services, especially for the needy in their area.” 
• West Sussex – Shock at library as reference books go – County Times.  60-book reference section removed from Billingshurst Library without consultation or notice.  Council said books were old and users could access information on computers.  Complainer said “Reference books have to be considered the most important element of a library. Remove them and what is the point of the library?” 
• Worcestershire – Concern that volunteers could run libraries – Worcester News.  Councillors worried that replacing staff with volunteers may be a legal problem and that they would need substantial training and support.  Libraries possibly run as a co-operative or other Trust.   

News

• As WiFi havens and E-book Centers, public libraries aren’t going away soon – Fast Company (USA).  Usage and tech increases in American libraries but budgets are flat or cut.
• Celebrate the Bath Festival of Children’s Literature 2011 – Daily Telegraph.   “This is a golden age for children’s writing and there is something uniquely important about the books we read as children: few subsequent reading experiences are quite so intense or engrave so deeply into your imagination. At a time when libraries are under threat it is even more important that the joys of reading are highlighted.”
• Chaos Library – Artists and Makers. A “pop-up library … All books are donated freely and may be borrowed by anyone who visits the library, wherever it pops up.”
• Communities will benefit from Big Society if postcode is right – PublicNet.  “The Big Society is set to bring benefits to many communities across the country, but others will lose out. The losers are in the areas with limited community wealth such as volunteering… In a boost to the Government’s Big Society agenda, new polling by Ipsos Mori shows that there is an untapped well of people willing to get more involved in community work through staffing libraries, sharing skills or mentoring children.”

• Liberals of old would be furious – Morning Star.  Liberals were behind establishing libraries in 1840s.  “…the legal precedent in the injunction granted to Birmingham’s Public Interest Lawyers, to halt Gloucester County Council pressing ahead with closures and cutbacks (M Star June 19), is an achievement with implications for the entire country.”

• Localism Bill, part one – BBC Democracy Live.  “The bill hands powers from central government to local councils and neighbourhoods, as part of the government’s Big Society agenda. The government says local communities will be given more control over housing and planning decisions, and the right to buy pubs, shops and libraries put up for sale.” 
• Realising Community Wealth – New Local Government Network.   £12 report (not seen)  uses research and polling to show that some areas may be more receptive for volunteers than others and many would be willing to staff libraries –  “In new heat maps illustrating Big Society resources, Barking & Dagenham and Harlow councils are least well placed to benefit from the Big Society, with the South West and North of England regions faring strongest.”

• Visits to the library – Marcus Moore.   “Looking round, it was obvious that many of those using the library computers were regulars: ordinary folk who can’t afford expensive technology; those working away from home; students doing research.”
• What librarians and Google are for – Phil Bradley’s Weblog.   Neat summary of the differences which will not be spoiled by summarising here.
• WI members launch Love Your Libraries campaign – This is Somerset. “An army of women campaigners are being mobilised to fight for libraries across the West, in a new campaign being spearheaded by the Women’s Institute. Tens of thousands of members from Dorset to Gloucestershire have backed plans for the campaign, called Love Your Libraries, to fight individual council plans to close branches, cut opening hours or replace staff with volunteers.” 
• Writer-in-Residence, with a twist – Nilam Ashra-McGrath.  “I am to be a Writer-In-Residence at Huddersfield Library for the next two weeks. But this is a residency with a twist. Instead of going out to schools and community groups to encourage reading, writing and the take up of library services, I’ll be writing about the experience of using the library and what it means for its members. This has been a personal project of mine for a while and I am in bits with excitement.”

Changes to Service

Local News

• Brent – Mark Twain stamp released as fight continues to save Kensal Rise Library – Save Kensal Rise library.  “Kensal Rise Library was opened by Mark Twain as a gift to the people of Brent from All Soul’s College, Oxford. It was opened to encourage reading and raise child literacy levels, and it is for that reason that residents are fighting so hard to keep it open.”.  Mark Twain Museum (USA) supports efforts to save library.
• Croydon – Lies, damned lies and statistics? A working model? – Sanderstead Library Campaign. Relates to Voices for the Library post on promotion (above) – “Croydon has already experienced this decline in the breadth of activities on offer and in the promotion of its activities.  Calls to have events better advertised have been ignored so far.  Wrong or incomplete information is in circulation.”
• Doncaster – Mayor critical as Miliband backs library closure protest – Star.  “We will keep as many open as possible, working with the community. But we already have too many libraries in the borough. There are certainly some libraries where no-one has come forward as a community saying they are interested in keeping them open.”
• Doncaster – Mayor Davies caught with his pants on fire again – Save Doncaster Libraries. Mayor suggests he is (a) improving Central Library but no evidence of this and (b) bemoans lack interest in volunteer-run libraries as lack of interest in libraries, which is not the case.  In addition, the council has not made clear what, if any, support it would offer. 26,000 Doncaster people have signed petition to save their threatened libraries so far.
• Ealing – Committee Papers – Ealing Council. Full proposals.- Mobile Library to go but no branch libraries. 
• Ealing – Conservatives still worried about the future of Ealing Libraries – Ealing Conservatives Press Release.  (Labour.) proposals suggest a “two tier” approach to libraries, with volunteers involved in some.  Unhappy with mobile library service going as 66% wanting it to stay (esp. nurseries where it stops). “Birth of Eve” painting should not have gone to supporting basic service.  “Whilst we welcome the reduction in the tiers of management, we deplore the reduction in customer facing staff in the libraries.”
• Gloucestershire – Painswick library to be re-housed in the town hall – Stroud News & Journal.  “The original library building was closed in December 2009 on health and safety grounds, the town residents have been sourcing their books from a mobile library…formed a group of trustees, which includes professional librarians and people with a wide range of relevant experience in business, marketing, charity administration, law and the public sector.” 
• Hampshire – Slimmed-down library ready to hit the road – Gazette.  13 mobile libraries cease from 4th July, £500k cut. 
• Hertfordshire – Campaigner mobilises headteachers and MP against Borehamwood library cuts – Borehamwood Times.  Area of high deprivation should be cut less say local schools and James Clappison MP. “I want councillors to appreciate you cannot make these cuts without there being an impact on literacy.” says Louise Aldridge.
• Isle of Wight – Volunteers “should not replace library workers” –  “Volunteers should supplement, but not replace, library provision on the Island, according to MP Andrew Turner”. 
• Northern Ireland – Killyleagh library campaign use unique art form – Down News. “The local library has a place in the social order and  sometimes we just don’t fully appreciate the importance of it. A library is a place where people meet socially too and this is an important function. So our library van is really a form of performance art, an expression about the experience of lending books.”

Sometimes you come across something so right that one needs to tell everyone.  Such a moment came when I had a look at the brilliant Edmonton Libraries brochure explaining what they do every day.  Through several beautifully produced pages it helps library staff and campaigners around the world with a few tips on how to do it themselves.  I have placed it at the top of the “reasons for public libraries” page as it so neatly does the job for me.  In fact, I could have saved myself some time and just used it instead, if its existence had previously been known to me.  If your library is not like the one described within, ask your councillors why not. Perhaps it’s because libraries in this country have never produced anything like it.

395 libraries (319 buildings and 76 mobiles) currently under threat or closed/left council control since 1/4/11 out of c.4612 in the UK (for the complete list by area see the page “Tally by local authority”). 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.

News

Councils must chase up their missing tax – London Evening Standard.  “Unpaid council tax means that councils make up the shortfall either by taxing their conscientious council taxpayers more or by cutting services. Before local authorities cut care for the elderly or close libraries, they should ensure that they are collecting the tax they are owed. In these straitened times, it’s the least they can do.”

“The LfL strategy recognised the important role that the library sector plays in achieving a number of the key priorities set out by WAG in its One Wales[1] strategy, not only in the development of the culture and heritage of Wales, but also in developing the Welsh economy, providing information that can improve the health and wellbeing of the Welsh people, providing access to lifelong learning and ensuring that resources are accessible to all. In addition, libraries were identified as playing a critical role in placing the citizen at the heart of service delivery and contributing to meeting the aims described in the Making the Connections programme (2005) for public service reform and Delivering Beyond Boundaries action plan[2]“.Evaluation of Libraries for Life – CyMAL (Wales). £10.5m budget from 2008 to 2011. Benefits shown “included increased employability, improved working environment and higher levels of job satisfaction. For library users benefits have included improved environments and facilities and more knowledgeable and up-skilled staff.”

Get it loud in libraries – Lancashire Libraries.  “Get It Loud In Libraries is a unique award winning project – it is the current Love Libraries Award 2007 winner-designed to give people, especially young people who love music, a damn good time in a library; libraries across Lancashire if you are someone who cares for the small details.”.  Singers include Chipmunk, Secret Sisters.
Is the future of books and libraries intertwined? – Kaser Info Today. (USA).
Is this the tipping point for E-books and libraries? – Read Write Web (USA).  
Libraries for a small community – Voices for the Library (Clair Humphries).  “These communities are local, and despite often being as small and narrow as the first library I ever knew, they deserve to be served by libraries that are local too.”
Libraries told to improve online – Public Service.  Libraries are a “top five online service” but “online council library services are often difficult to use, despite the fact that millions rely on them, research from Socitm has found.”
Santa Clarita prepares to open new library system – PublicCEO.com.  Favourable report on LSSI’s takeover of three public libraries.  “In anticipation of opening day, the City vastly increased the inventory of library books and media, as well as service days and hours at the three branches.”.  
Trade unions and anti-cuts campaigners plan summer of protest – Guardian.  “Earlier this month Dave Prentis, the head of Unison, the UK’s biggest public-sector union, promised to mount the most sustained wave of industrial action the country has seen since the general strike of 1926, vowing not to back down until the government has dropped its pension changes.”.  Most library staff who are in a union are in Unison.
We will not be Shushed: a new method of library advocacy – American Libraries (USA). The “Save NYC Libraries” campaign has put together advocacy events including 24-hour read ins, a Zombie Walk, petition and post card campaigns, and most recently a flash mob library hug around New York Public Library’s Stephen A. Schwarzman Building.

Local News

Bracknell Forest – Libraries are owed £105,000 – Get Bracknell.  “The system of fines is used to encourage customers to return items promptly. We would urge anyone who has a library book or other library item to bring it back so it can be enjoyed by others”
Bradford – Tories attack cafe plan in light of ongoing cuts – Telegraph & Argus.  “It appears absurd that we cannot afford the staff to operate libraries or swimming pools, but we can staff coffee shops in City Hall. I am quietly confident that I know what residents would prefer.”
Brent – June Campaign Update – Save Kensal Rise Library.   (1) Philip Pullman to speak on 20th July, (2) Application for judicial review now issued, nearly half of the £30,000 required has been raised, review expected when time available July-September (3) Stall at Queens Park Book Festival, stall soon at Kensal Flea Market. 
Doncaster -Ed Miliband to visit Doncaster Libraries – Save Doncaster Libraries.”Ed Miliband will make a personal appearance alongside campaigners who are not giving up the battle to save 14 Doncaster libraries from the budget cutbacks. The Doncaster North MP is visiting Sprotbrough Library, in Sprotborough Road, on Saturday July 9, from 10.15am, which is one of the branches facing the axe because of cuts imposed by the Coalition Government.”

Mr Miliband added: “These planned closures – rubberstamped by Doncaster’s mayor and his cabinet – are being proposed because cuts imposed by the Tory-led Government in Westminster are going too far, too fast. Libraries are at the heart of Doncaster’s communities, like any other town in the country, and they should not be taken away.” Doncaster – Leader’s pledge on libraries row – Star.  “the Labour leader has weighed in to the fight to stave off the closure of many of Doncaster’s branch libraries”

Gloucestershire – 17 offers to get go ahead to run Gloucestershire’s libraries and youth centres – This is Glos. The 9 libraries are Berkeley, Bream, Brockworth, Lechlade, Matson, Minchinhampton, Mitcheldean, Newnham and Painswick.  Painswick is aiming to reopen a library closed in 2009.  Two comments point out going ahead by agreeing thse plans appears to go against the current court injunction which includes the line “Transferring or agreeing to transfer any library building or lease or responsibility for running any existing library”
Hertfordshire – Cuts to library hours come into force – Hemel Today.    Some of the most serious cuts in library services anywhere, a 30% opening hours cut, will come in force from Monday.
West Sussex – Council payoffs to officers “outrageous” – BBC.   Five senior officers received £1.5m in payoffs, including one who went into £130k p.a. job shortly afterwards. Same council planning to cut 1300 jobs -” the public faced cuts in adult social care services, libraries, buses and young people’s services.”