372 libraries plus 27 mobiles currently under threat or recently closed (List below “News”)
– plus 3 since yesterday – informed that West Dunbarton are closing 3 (out of 10)

News
There was a segment on Radio 4 PM and a letter in the Times today about saving public libraries. Closer to home, the comedian Mark Thomas tweeted about the library cuts map (link on right) today which resulted in 14,000 people looking at it this afternoon and evening. Also today, news coming out of Gloucestershire is that they are going to more than double the 5000 names they aimed for in their petition. When people learn a library is in threat, they will try to protect it. The problem for library campaigners is in getting that message out there.

Cambridgeshire – closing libraries the least popular option of all unpopular options – Cambridge News
Isle of Wight – campaigning group – Save the Libraries on the Isle of Wight
Oxfordshire – letters pages raging over library closures, volunteers may work in affluent areas – Guardian
Somerset – consultation on Wednesday – Yeovil Express
Somerset – BBC Somerset Radio interview with Save Somerset Libraries – BBC (at 55 minutes)
Somerset – Steve Barlow speaks about “bloodbath” library closures – BBC Radio 4 PM (at 28:36)
Swansea – “it’s going to be a tough year” for some libraries – This is South Wales
West Dunbartonshire – 3 libraries under threat of closure – West Dunbartonshire Council.

Councils are ignoring the legal protection of libraries, Ed Vaizey is being very coy – Times (letters, behind paywall)
Campaign for the Book January Newsletter – Alan Gibbons
How to do a Read-In – Walk You Home
(USA) Libraries, a priceless resource – NorthWest Journal
(USA) Libraries are screwed – Ebooks have changed everything – Go To Hellman
(USA) Maximise your job seeking mojo at the library – At Your Library

369 libraries plus 27 mobiles currently under threat or recently closed (List below “News”)
– Blackburn with Darwen – reduced opening hours (hours not part of headline count)
– Sandwell – some libraries may be closed (not added to count as numbers unclear)

News
37 separate articles in the press, local and national, since the last post.  The plus side to this is that libraries have probably never received this much attention.  The down side – well, the down side is fairly obvious. Still, today, New Year’s Day, let us focus on the bright side.  There’s a lot of love out there for libraries.  Here’s to the harnessing of it in 2011.

Blackburn with Darwen – libraries to have reduced opening hours – Lancashire Telegraph
Buckinghamshire – Govt spending cut in line with council plans so more volunteer libraries – Bucks Advertiser
Buckinghamshire – Winslow library – second meeting announced – Buckingham Today
Bury – Saddened by loss of Unsworth – Bury Times
Croydon – libraries moved to different department – This is Croydon Today
Dorset – Charmouth faces closure – View Online
Gloucestershire – 4000 sign petition, and rising – This is Gloucestershire
Gloucestershire – instead of a library, have some books in a doctor’s waiting room – Stroud News & Journal
Gloucestershire – sign up to campaign or lose libraries forever – This is Gloucestershire
Gloucestershire – petition to save Hester’s Way – This is Gloucestershire
Gloucestershire – (long) list of media coverage so far – Friends of Gloucestershire Libraries
Herefordshire – misjudging the volunteer role – Kidderminster Shuttle
Isle of Wight – Closures plan in detail – Ventnor Blog
Isle of Wight – Save the libraires by paying fee? – Isle of Wight County Press
Lancashire – fines amnesty for returned books – Burnley Citizen
Middlesbrough – young people like libraries, will be consulted on cuts – Gazette Live
North Yorkshire – fight to save Ryedale libraries – Gazette & Herald
North Yorkshire – Friends of Easingwold Library
Nottingham – concerned over future of Booktrust – My Nottingham
Nottinghamshire – opening hours cuts affect least affluent areas the worst – Eastwood Advertiser
Oxfordshire – Philip Pullman and Colin Dexter call closures “Shameful” – Oxford Mail
Sandwell – some libraries may be closed –  Halesowen News
Sheffield – Central Library plans in spotlight – Sheffield Telegraph
Somerset – 5000 petition being collected – This is Somerset
Somerset – Glastonbury closure unfair – This is Somerset
Somerset – Ilminster closure being fought – View Online
Somerset – MP Tessa Munt waiting for answers about libraries – This is Somerset
Somerset – have say on libraries closures – This is Somerset
Somerset – Stand up for Shepton group warns about vital library meeting – StandUp4Shepton
Stoke on Trent – “Talking Tots” owner wants libraries to be saved – This is Staffordshire

Democracy’s failures – resources in common like libraries are being forced into the free market – Guardian
Ed Vaizey – no hidden agenda, volunteers are for expanding hours – Witney Gazette
Letter attacking North Yorkshire closures – Times (behind paywall) 1st Jan – link to most are here
Libraries important in areas of social deprivation – Voices for the Library
Our society is not big enough for Cameron – Independent
Several letters in support of libraries – Times (behind paywall) 31st Dec
TUC – it’s going to be a horrible year with cuts in “high profile services such as libraries will cause widespread anger” – Politics

(USA) Library Renewal – a new group fighting for libraries in the online age

369 libraries plus 27 mobiles currently under threat or recently closed (List below “News”)
Changes to the running total are –
Plus 3 – Bexley – “People are still waiting to hear details of other cuts such as the identity of the three libraries whose futures may be under threat”
Plus 1 – Renfrewshire – Lochwinnoch library is to be closed then merged with community centre.

News
As the numbers of libraries under threat grow, so too do the number of campaigns.  The Telegraph today complains about the effectiveness of the campaign to save BookStart. A new video here and a new website there are signs that the Big Society does work and it is mobilising itself in order to stop closures.  These campaigns are not political and they are not organised by external agitators.  They are spontaneous responses by local people to the removal of a resource that they value and that helps make society, big or not, function.

Bexley – three libraries threatened – News Shopper
Cambridgeshire – Over 5600 complete libraries consultation (28% volunteer to help) – Cambs Council
Darlington – users surveyed on future of libraries – BBC
Durham – libraries “most at risk” – Teesdale Mercury
Gloucestershire – Petition date drawing near a close – FoGL
Gloucestershire – author Alice Jolly lends support – FoGL
Hampshire – MP welcomes Localism Bill as volunteers could save libraries etc – This is Hampshire
Isle of Wight – Save the Libraries on the Isle of Wight – Save The Libraries
Leeds – closing up to 20 libraries will produce eight benefits for city – Leeds Council
Middlesbrough – choose the budget as libraries etc face uncertain future – Gazette Live
North Yorkshire – councillor campaigns for Barlby Library – Selby Times
Renfrewshire – Alasdair Gray and others campaign to stop merging Lochwinnoch library with community centre – Youtube
Somerset – Keeping Somerset’s libraries open – To Know We Are Not Alone
Somerset – Consultation “Any communities that do not take that option would see their library close” – Somerset Council

BookStart – the chattering classes get their way, reprieve is “sign of weakness” – Telegraph
3 million children have no internet access at home – Guardian

365 libraries plus 27 mobiles currently under threat or recently closed (List below “News”)

News
For those who do not think that campaigning works, have a look at what has happened over BookTrust funding over the last few days.  All funding is announced as closed – there is a national uproar – then funding is restored.  Wonderful news and a late Christmas present for all who care for literacy.

CILIP produced a little Christmas present of their own with the removal of password protection on their campaigning materials.  In other news, reading articles like Thurrock’s below, it is clear that some councils are not announcing cuts until their council committee meetings in February. Not sure how this is going is going to tie in with consultation of the public.

Doncaster – 13 out of 25 branches still in danger – South Yorkshire Times
Gloucestershire – 20 community groups express interest in running libraries – Cotswold Journal (including one group that wants to purchase the land for grazing)
Hampshire – library hours expand – Hampshire Chronicle
Leicestershire – children’s centre joins Anstey Library – In Loughborough
Moray – closure threats lifted – Northern Scot (money saved by moving service to a Trust)
North Yorkshire – fury over closures – Craven Herald & Pioneer
North Yorkshire – Petition for Barlby – Selby Times
Somerset – Interview with Save Somerset Libraries – Radio Somerset (at 1.30)
Somerset – Wells Library set to expand as others close – Wells People
Thurrock – RNIB subscription ends – Thurrock Gazette
Wiltshire – new library built – Gazette and Herald
Wolverhampton – 2 libraries offer Wifi – Wolverhampton Council

A deception of Madoff proportions – Shirley Burnham
BookTrust – u-turn statement in more detail – London Evening Standard
BookTrust – Philip Pulman welcomes rescued funding – BBC
Booktrust – Miliband says funding restored? – BBC
BookStart – authors attack decision – BBC
BookStart – Miliband condemns funding end – Independent
BookStart – This government has set its face against reading – Guardian (the comments below the article show a wide variety of opinions – the most sadly ironic being that there is no need for BookStart as we have so many libraries) and Observer and Guardian again
CILIP – library campaigning materials – CILIP (now free to use and open to all) and here too
(USA) Usage up, uses up – Charleston City Paper

363 libraries plus 26 mobiles currently under threat or recently closed (List below “News”)
Being the list below represents around a third of  authorities in the UK, the final figure could be from 800 to 1000.

News
The Arts Council will take over the role of the MLA with under £3 million to play with.  The National Literacy Trust fears for its funding after the stopping of funding for the BookTrust yesterday. Eric Pickles calls councils which close front-line services instead of sacking back-office staff “stupid”.  Kent reduces its full-time staffing by 83 and replaces them with over a million pounds of self-service machines. Protests up and down the country.  This has to be the most “interesting” time for public libraries for a century.

Arts Council will have only £2.6 million to take over (non-Renaissance) MLA functions – Arts Newspaper
Bury – more details on plans to close Unsworth and reduce Prestwich – Manchester Evening News
Camden – volunteers running libraries could be challenging – Swiss Cottage Courier
Dorset – closing 20 branches will result in less than a £1 million saving – Bridport News
Flintshire – 5 libraries to go are dated – The Leader and Daily Post
Gloucestershire – 200 sign petition in once day – This is Gloucestershire
Greenwich – libraries to become part of a Trust – 853blog
Hillingdon – library buildings and staffing unaffected by cuts – Uxbridge Gazette
Kent – 83 jobs to go as self-service comes in – Kent Online
Lincolnshire – cuts but no library closures for at least two years – This is Lincolnshire
Middlesbrough – children say yes to libraries in survey – Middlesbrough Council
Milton Keynes – Save Stony Stratford Library – About My Area
North Yorkshire – Campaign to save Easingwold, despite the cold – Gazette and Herald
Nottinghamshire – 30 (half of total) libraries to open for only up to 10 hours per week – Guardian
Oxfordshire – librarian’s job cannot be done by volunteers – Witney Gazette
Oxfordshire – protestor’s lobby of council –  Herald
Renfrewshire – Save Lochwinnoch Library – Youtube
Somerset – Library consultation document – Somerset Council (see Page 5 for closure list, inc “busy” Glastonbury) – put your feedback here

CILIP – what makes a good library? – CILIP
CILIP – response to end of BookStart funding – CILIP
Eric Pickles calls councils stupid if they cannot cope with the greatest cuts in history – Northern EchoHow important are books to you? – The Book Zone
Future Libraries Programme Update – MLA
Libraries are “non-statutory” – EGov Monitor
Localism Bill – key points, question over what council support will be given to those taking over libraries – Guardian
We could be the next to lose funding – National Literacy Trust

(USA) Kick Ass Librarian – LIS News (the library this was filmed in has now closed)
(USA) Libraries delivering life-saving information – ROCnow