A Buckinghamshire newspaper reports that 60 part-time library staff may be made redundant in their plans to cut 18 libraries (14 this year, 2 in 2012, plus 2 mobile libraries).  In the same article it suggests that 1000 people are interested in volunteering in the county’s libraries.  That’s sixteen volunteers per newly jobless library worker. It’s a cruel statistic that takes no account of the good motives of the volunteer. But it is how it feels to many working in libraries. The first question asked across the counter these days is “are you closing?”. A further statement sometimes heard is “I’ll volunteer to work here if you do”.  This does not encourage the library worker, it shocks and demoralizes them. It may do so at first due to feeling hurt that their skills and often lifelong commitment to the job can be so brushed over. However, the point here, the big ultimate ironic point here, is that committed library users across the country are inadvertently making it easier for councils to close libraries.  After all, councils (today Warwickshire, yesterday Cumbria) can say they’re not closing them. They’re “divesting” them to community groups.   The Big Society is stealing library jobs and, in so many places, stealing libraries.

News
5 Live and the Cuts – BBC Radio 5 Live “Whatever your opinion of the timing and necessity of the cuts, you’ll find that a lot of things you take for granted, whether or not you use them, might not exist any more.
For me, it’s a small, unassuming building in Brent in north west London.When I was growing up, I practically lived in Preston Library”
Buying a Kindle is like burning books – Telegraph
Council reserve cash reignites debate about politically motivated cuts – eGov
Save Libraries Day and CILIP’s media presence – View from the Hill (see comments too)
Support from broadcaster Jenni Trent Hughes – Voices for the Library

Changes
Buckinghamshire – 60 part-time jobs at risk, compulsory redundances “a very last resort”
Warwickshire – 2 (out of 5) mobile libraries to be cut.

News by Authority
Bradford – “Eat-in” to be staged at Ilkley library to encourage Bradford to rethink cuts – Telegraph & Argus.  Local author Martyn Bedford will lead protest where people eat their lunch and borrow as many books as possible.
Brent – Battle begins, as Brent councillors declare: we are unelectable – Save Kensal Rise Library. Council is spending £100m on new town hall.
Brent – Half of Brent’s libraries to close as residents protest – Willesden & Brent Times
Brent – Brent axes six libraries to save £1m – London Evening Standard “even though a public consultation found that 82 per cent of residents opposed the move”

“The most high-profile casualty was Kensal Rise library, whose supporters include authors Philip Pullman and Zadie Smith. Pullman said: “It’s a sad day for Brent that the council has not been persuaded despite all the arguments put forward.” Anti-poverty campaigner Sam Roddick, who founded Coco de Mer, said: “Cutting the libraries is cutting the poor from the little they have. It will damn our country into the kind of poverty you see in third world countries.” 

Buckinghamshire – Shake-up of libraries in Bucks planned – Maidenhead Advertiser “Community status could see the facilities affected, ‘sharing premises with other local businesses and organisations, increasing community volunteering and fundraising, and self-managed’.
Buckinghamshire – Sixty jobs at risk in Buckinghamshire library cuts plan – Bucks Free Press, 1000 people have expressed an interest in volunteering
Ealing – Northfields Library latest – Ealing Today
Leicestershire – Libraries public consultation on opening hours – Leicestershire Council

Lewisham – Proposals for Lewisham libraries Crofton Park, Grove Park, New Cross and Sydenham on view to public – News Shopper (These libraries and Blackheath to be dropped from council control and offered to community groups).
Warwickshire – [Jeremy Wright] MP: Warwickshire County Council must help library volunteers more – Coventry Telegraph
Warwickshire – Facing the Challenge, Business case forms/faqs, consultation questionnaire – Warwickshire County Council

Worcestershire – Town council considers plan to buy library – Worcester News “Residents and town councillors are considering making an offer to buy their library in a bid to stop it getting moved to another location”

News
Big Society Capital Funds – Walk You Home (uses Warwickshire as an
example)
Bookworm teenagers are most likely to get top jobs – Express
Dreadful MP of the Week: Glenda Jackson – Spectator 
Forget music lessons and sport, reading in your teens is the key to a good career – Mail

 “No other activity, from sport to socialising with friends, going  to museums and concerts, or doing practical activities such as cooking or sewing, affected their careers, unless they were also reading.”

Fresh wind from the Humber – Independent (Hull’s successful library service examined)
George Osborne lights red tape bonfire – Telegraph
Libraries too middle class and we’re right to be shutting them down [says John Redwood MP] – Mail

Library of the Living Dead – McPherson College (Zombie Guide to the Library)
Maryland firm to take over 3 California libraries as debate grows over privatization – Washington Post (USA)
Memories of dusk time strolls – Voices for the Library

” But what stayed with me was that these two little girls might grow up with the memories of dusk-time strolls, after dinner, to a cosy library full of wonderful books, and a cuddle with their Dad.”

Reading as a teenager gets you a better job – Telegraph
Rebuild leads to library’s closure – Private Eye (via Alan Gibbons)
Say what you got to say and say it loud – Walk You Home
Should libraries be protected from cuts? – Radio 5 Live

News by Library Authority
Blackburn and Darwen – Cuts to Blackburn and Darwen libraries announced – Lancashire Telegraph
Bradford – Bradford libraries could get e-book technology – Telegraph & Argus
Brent – Brent to axe six libraries and build one costing £3m despite locals’ fury – London Evening Standard
Brent – Council accused of hypocrisy over libraries – Save Kensal Rise Library
Cheshire East – Cheshire East libraries are busiest ones in whole of UK – Crewe Chronicle

Ealing – Hanwell: Protest as council debates library closures – Ealing Gazette (500 petition, “The council is prioritising a car park over children’s futures”
Ealing – Library consultation “a sham” say Lib Dems – Ealing Gazette 
Isle of Wight – Decision to allocate arts money “bizarre” – IWCP

“Fewer valuable public servants, no lavatories, no village libraries, no rural bus services and no proper arts centres merely leaves spiritually impoverished communities and risks destroying the social fabric of our country”

Isle of Wight – Bembridge Library Users Group disappointed with council negotiations – Ventnor Blog

 “We are disappointed that despite a massive effort put by our members to advance negotiations with the IOW council we regret to report that we are no further forward and that IWC remains resolutely determined to close the library at the end of June.”

Suffolk – Aldeburgh: Ambitious blueprint revealed to save future of library – EADT – cost would be c.45k p.a. hope if for not-for-profit organisation to run and boost library, with council still responsible for booklending. 
Suffolk – Labour shadow Ed Balls attacks Suffolk library cuts – BBC

“Most people who depend upon libraries would say ‘I don’t want it to be a lottery depending on whether people are willing to volunteer to keep them open.” (Ed Balls)

Swindon – Four libraries to stay open longer – Swindon Advertiser
Surrey – Ideas needs for spending housing windfall – Get Surrey “Options already highlighted include funding charitable groups affected by cuts in government funding, cash for public libraries that are under threat of closure and business rate relief for local shops.”
Surrey – Council leader wins vote of confidence – This is Surrey Today

“He added that he was not concerned about the backlash he might face as a result of cuts to public services such as buses and libraries.”

Warwickshire – Voices For The Library on the £100k offer for volunteers to run libraries – BBC Radio Coventry and Warwickshire
Warwickshire – Warwickshire council offers community library funds – BBC
York _ City of York Council cuts are revealed – Press

News
Could an online booksharing scheme spell the end of the traditional library? – Guardian
Counting the non-jobs – Local Government Chronicle (local government minister had said there were 741000 “non-jobs”.  Apparently, “non-jobs” include nursery nurses, cleaners, school assistants …)
Cribsheet 4/6/11: Look around you Michael Gove – Guardian “Why not suggest extending the Summer Reading Challenge which is coordinated by The Reading Agency and is run in 95% of UK public libraries?”
Libraries and the Big Society: round table discussions revealed – Voices for the Library (minutes of Ed Vaizey/DCMS/MLA/TRA/Libraries/Big Society/etc meeting in January only revealed by Freedom of Information request).
Library campaigners at the March For The Alternative – Voices for the Library
Now the real economic pain starts: yes, it’s “worse-off” Wednesday – Independent “Last Saturday in a quiet corner of Middle England, Central Bedfordshire’s mobile library stamped its last book. The decision to withdraw the service was not taken lightly by the local authority, but for the residents of outlying villages it means that the regular arrival of new reading matter to their communities will cease. Libraries have emerged as a soft target when it comes to finding ways of balancing council budgets – despite a rearguard action from leading literary figures. Estimates suggest that more than 10 per cent of Britain’s 4,517 fixed and mobile libraries have either closed, left local authority control or are preparing to close”
On the cutting edge – LGA “Eight out of 10 councils (83%) said they were planning to make savings from library services. Some 26% reported that they had plans to transfer library services to local community or mutual ownership, and 22% said they planned to move libraries to other buildings were they would run alongside other services.”
Vote local, vote libraries – CILIP
We may have a Tory PM but lefties and luvvies still run Britain – Mail “The naughty thought enters my head that Mr Pullman’s books must do quite good business at libraries, but I am sure it would be quite wrong to suggest that he is supporting libraries purely for personal financial gain.”

News by local authority
Dorset – Beaminster: Help needed to keep library open – Bridport News “it cannot go forward in any form whatsoever without the financial support of Dorset County Council for its book circulation and the expertise of a librarian to support the volunteers.”
Dorset – Lyme Regis: library cuts all “smoke and mirrors” claim – Bridport News
Gloucestershire – Inaccuracies and miseleading claims in new GCC cabinet report on library cuts – FoGL “I have no doubt that deprivation indices were examined. I know because I examined some when I worked for GCC. However they were definitely not applied to the methodology and had no impact on the proposals made.”
Hounslow –   Council unable to provide dates for consultation – Hounslow Chronicle
Leeds – Parish councils’ fears over Leeds library consultation – Guardian (3000 responses, head of libraries’ offensive email and her apology for it
Nottinghamshire – Misterton: Library hours reduced – Epworth Bells
Somerset – Highbridge library “saved” from closure by volunteers – BBC
Suffolk – Protesters march to save Suffolk libraries – BBC “the only way to persuade councillors is to do this sort of thing“
York – Lib Dem launch re-election fight – Press

Changes
 Bath and North East Somerset – Conservatives “pledge to protect libraries” in May 5th Manifesto.
Brent – Central Library will move to new Civic Centre building in 2013; the 6 libraries not being closed will be open seven days, with longer hours during exam periods, more ebooks and more audio.
Lewisham – New Cross Library closing on 28th May, to be taken over (with 3 others) by “social entrepreneur”

News

Child of the Library, revised song – Just a Summary
Defending libraries against cuts? It’s too little, too late – Spiked (see this response)
Historic buildings could be at risk as councils sell them or abandon them to cope with budget cuts – Mail
Historic buildings sold off by public sector to meet cuts shortfall – Guardian
I didn’t steal books from library, says mother of Zadie Smith – Mail “She said she held on to books only when her library was closed, and returned them to Willesden Green Library when it began collecting books from libraries that had shut down.”
Labour can’t criticise ConDem library closures then close libraries themselves – Alan Gibbons
Library Futures Programme – Good Library Blog “Should we take it seriously? No.”
Popular, empowering and free – that’s why the Tories hate libraries – Right to Work (from 1st Feb)
Private benefactors won’t be enough to balance the books – Observer “Councils trying to sell off public libraries to reduce their deficits may not be allowed to do so, because in many cases the property must revert to the landowner who donated it. That’s the kind of thing that happens when you replace public with private”
Statement by Michael Rosen and Alan Gibbons [on reading in schools]– Alan Gibbons
Toby Young on Zadie Smith’s “propaganda” – BBC Radio 4
Up all Night – Walk You Home
Up all Night – BBC Radio 5

News by authority

Bath and North East Somerset – Tory pledge to protect libraries and weekly waste collections – This is Bath “The issue of library closures has proved to be one of most emotive in the debate over public sector cuts”
Brent – Brent Council recommends closing six libraries – BookSeller  “”Local libraries, to which children, teenagers, elderly people and those with mobility issues can walk, and whose sole purpose is to lend books and offer information are not a priority [for the council].”
Cambridgeshire – Friends unite to protect [Linton] village library’s future – Haverhill Echo “But there were concerns an effective group could make handing over management more attractive to the county council.”
Dorset – Council protest: More than 1000 take to the streets – Dorset Echo “Mike Chaney of the Ad Lib campaign group also gave a speech to call on the proposed new £5million library to be scrapped as other libraries need to be saved from closure.”
Dorset – Council protest: Full support given to Dorchester march – Dorset Echo
Island of Wight – Island libraries on reduced timetable – Isle of Wight Radio
Leeds – Leeds council cuts come under scrutiny: libraries under spotlight – Guardian
Lewisham – [Conservative Group Leader] Britton asks Government to protect Lewisham’s libraries – East Lewisham Conservatives
Lewisham – News from Save New Cross Library – Alan Gibbons
Suffolk – Hundreds join library protest march – EADT
Suffolk – 500 at Suffolk libraries demonstration – Country Standard
Sutton – Sutton residents and staff invited to have their say on the future of libraries – Local Guardian

It is the first of its kind I’m aware of.  A parish council in Wiltshire has voted to increase tax by £7 per person in order to pay for a properly staffed library.  Voters decided with a ration of 2 to 1 to voluntarily raise taxes to keep the paid librarian rather than closing it down or staffing it with volunteers. 

The DCMS have summoned Gloucestershire and Lewisham councils for meetings, presumably over their cuts to their library services and possibly due to the legal challenges to both.  That the DCMS is also undergoing a judicial review into whether it has been doing its job properly may or may not be related.

In other news, the libraries minister Ed Vaizey is in talks to secretly censor the internet. No, this is not an April Fool’s Day (nor to my knowledge is anything else in this blog, although it is sometimes hard to judge these days).

Changes
Flintshire – £300k extra money for Buckley
Gloucestershire – council summoned to DCMS to explain their actions.
Lewisham – council summoned to DCMS to explain their actions.
Nottingham – 13 libraries to have reduced hours; Bulwell and St. Ann’s Library to move into “Joint Service Centres” in 2012
Sefton – Aintree to be closed twice a week (Thu and Sun), Meadows Library to be closed on Sundays; opening hours scaled back to 2001 levels; voluntary redundancy for staff.
Solihull and Warwickshire – Mobile library services merge saving £100k (no job losses)
Wiltshire – Aldbourne Library will remain staffed due to increase in parish council tax.

National News
Arts cuts are an act of unthinking vandalism – Guardian “The cuts to ACE cannot be seen in isolation from the removal of public funding for humanities tuition in higher education; the absence of arts subjects from the English baccalaureate; the unstable situation among local authorities, some of which are bravely protecting cultural provision while all too many are cutting it off; the starvation of libraries. Music tuition risks transforming into a privilege for the well-off few, rather than the many, as music services lose funds.”
Arts Cuts – Guardian – “Of all the cuts, those to libraries and the arts are particularly heartbreaking. It’s in places such as libraries and theatres that people learn to think of new ideas, and to dream of different ways of living.” (David Peace)
Britain’s back-room negotiations to establish a national, extrajudicial internet censorship regime – Boing Boing (Ed Vaizey takes us “one step further to dictatorship”)
From the archives: the 1991 Derbyshire inquiry – Alan Gibbons
Libraries, bias and the BBC – Undaimonia “Library activists are not in opposition to the Government or any political party: they are in opposition to anyone who would close functional library services.”
Most councils to cut Sure Start and libraries spending – LGC (paywall) “Some 83% of respondents said they were planning to make savings from library services …”
Place of the cure of the soul – Voices For The Library “It took so many of us to build, so few to tear it down.”
These gung ho cuts mar all that is best in Britain – London Evening Standard “They go at it with disarming geniality, they talk excitedly of creative destruction, but their relish for the project cannot excuse a demoralised NHS, a chaotic education system, shuttered libraries and – small beer though it may seem to be – the needless dismemberment of an arts scene that costs so little and offers so much.”
Two councils summoned to DCMS – Alan Gibbons
You’re invited to #libchat – Pixel & Page

Local News
Cardiff – Librarian prepares to celebrate 40 years among Cardiff’s books – Your Cardiff
Dorset – Libraries fight: county council invites people to have their say – Dorset Echo
Dorset – Libraries fight: why the council is in their bad books – Dorset Echo ““Unless you look carefully you’d think that the council’s proposal that communities should take over their library buildings is an act of generosity.”
Flintshire -Buckley library to get £300k investment boost – Flintshire Chronicle
Flintshire – Anger over “slap in the face” as Flintshire library gets cash – Leader
Gloucestershire – Culture Minister offers Gloucestershire library campaigners meeting – Cotswold Journal
Isle of Wight – Opening times shake up for island libraries – Isle of Wight Gazette
Leicestershire – Spending cuts threat to libraries’ opening hours – Burton Mail
Manchester – Front line in the cuts blame game – Channel 4 FactCheck Blog “So as Mr Shapps rather surprisingly admitted to me, deprived areas will inevitably suffer most from the spending cuts the government has put in place as it tries to stop the country going bust. It’s all very well for ministers to praise their Conservative colleagues in Trafford. But efficient as they may be, they’re also blessed with a financial cushion denied their poorer neighbours across the border.”
Middlesbrough – Cuts not fair, says Middlesbrough mayor – Gazette “The cuts will undoubtedly impact on the services the council can provide and, while we have to look at what is affordable, those who suggest we should close all our libraries, sports centres and mima need to think again. Such a policy will not encourage people to visit or settle in the town and will lead to people moving elsewhere.”
Nottingham – New [worse] opening hours at city libraries – My Nottingham
Sefton – Maghull and Aintree Library opening hours to be cut back – Maghull and Aintree Star “If the proposed hours will keep our library open then I will be very happy as this library is the lifeline for people like myself who cannot travel far and meet people.”
Suffolk – Vocal protesters stage demo to support library service – Newmarket Journal
Surrey – Passes at libraries for Surrey bus users – Surrey Comet
Warwickshire – Mobile libraries service merges – Coventry Telegraph
Warwickshire – Cabinet minutes published – Warwickshire Council
Wiltshire – Aldbourne voters back library cash – This is Wiltshire “Of the 386, 283 supported the parish council paying towards the cost of keeping the service run by librarian Trish Rushen, rather than let it be run by volunteers.” £7 extra voted onto council tax bill to avoid using volunteers.