Editorial

Some more fall-out from the release of the abbreviated mailing list, er, sorry, dataset of English public libraries today – no-one is impressed and, I mean, no-one – but also there were a couple of big protests this weekend in Lambeth and Bath. I know Bath, I worked as a library trainee there back in the 1990s. It’s not a hotbed of political discontent. To get a big protest there is going some. So, well done to Bath and North East Somerset Council, I guess,  for mishandling the situation so terribly that there was a sit-down protest involving hundreds in the town-centre there. Doing wonders for political activism there.

Changes

• Bedford – Mobile library service likely to be cut.
• Essex – Silver End Library co-located into village hall.
• North Lincolnshire – New £1.2m Winterton Library opened: co-located with council desk and gym, twice size old library.
• Scottish Borders – Council reduces leisure trust budget by £320k (5%).

Ideas

• Charging for car parking
• Hackathons

More >

Editorial

I’ve seen many people argue for the combining of library services across council boundaries in order to save money.  And, indeed, 151 library services just for England does seem a tad excessive. The Tri-borough (*deep breath*: Hammersmith & Fulham, Kensington & Chelsea and Westminster) has been held up as a great example of how this can work, with the three councils combining many different services, including libraries. Here’s an article from 2012 describing how well it was working. However, sadly, the BBC reports today that the partnership is ending in a divorce where the warring councils are each accusing the other of insincerity. So, why? Well, Hammersmith claims it was losing from the deal. Which may be true, but I suspect the real reason is that in 2014, Hammersmith became Labour controlled and the other two remained Conservative and it’s taken this long for it all to unravel. Imagine how much fun the councillor meetings between them must have been until they’ve finally now decided to go their separate ways.

Reality has a rich sense of irony sometimes as, on the same day, Bournemouth has confirmed it will combine its library services with Poole. Both councils are Conservative controlled so they may have a chance, for now. But I suggest buying the popcorn and settling down in a comfortable chair to watch if one of the two councils changes party control. However, I understand all of Dorset is looking to go unitary so that could solve that one.

So does that cast a shadow on combining library services? Well, there may be a way for councils of all stripes to happily share control. That magic partnering option is outsourcing.  The non-profit leisure trust GLL currently run Greenwich (Labour), Wandsworth (Conservative) and Lincolnshire (No overall control, Conservative leader) libraries, are doing things with combined gyms and libraries in Lambeth (Labour), will soon be taking over Dudley (No overall control, Labour leader) and are trying for Bromley (Conservative). That’s what I know of but I’m sure there’s more. I suspect GLL gain all sorts of economies of scale from this, and so in this age that weirdly combines localism and austerity, they may be the closest we have to combining library services. Albeit at one remove and almost by stealth.

Changes

• Hammersmith and Fulham – Tri-borough ends, as Hammersmith leavers joint arrangement with Kensington and Westminster.
• Kensington and Chelsea – Tri-borough ends, as Hammersmith leavers joint arrangement with Kensington and Westminster.
• Windsor and Maidenhead – New mobile to be purchased.
• Westminster – Tri-borough ends, as Hammersmith leavers joint arrangement with Kensington and Westminster.

Ideas

• Edible library book competition

More >

Editorial

The library innovation funding has been awarded and announced.  It gives an idea of what libraries themselves consider innnovative and also what ACE is interested in funding. While there is a pleasing variety of grants given, none are entirely new ideas to me (with ideas mainly being copied from the USA), although some are probable firsts in the UK. The clear winning idea, probably to no-one’s surprise, is the currently fashionable makerspaces. One thing for sure is that we will know with a certainty after two years or so whether makerspaces in libraries will be a success or not.  I have a concern that, like code clubs, they will be popular and look good but do not tie in entirely comfortably with the core role of public libraries. It may be that by moving libraries into a more active teaching role with things like FabLabs rather than traditionally more passive/assisting provision library services will be energised and revolutionised. Or it may be that they become time sinks and a distraction from the more important work public libraries provide. At least now, well. we’ll find out, as it is the purpose of this innovation funding in the first place.

Of the other ideas, the one that strikes me as the most innovative is providing free meals to children over the summer holidays in Plymouth: this has been successfully practiced in the US for years and it will be interesting to see how it goes here. There’s also the promise of this as being part of having public libraries as the third space for children away from school and the home: a natural area for the sector that could do with developing. Sadly, though, I am seeing nothing on something I was really hoping for. This was promoting library services, which has long been one of the key weaknesses of the sector. £200k less for the seven different varieties of maker space and £200k for a publicity campaign could have made a massive difference, but it may be no bid was made for that.

Finally, it’s worth noting the tough line that GLL are taking in Lincolnshire with those with fines over £20. They’re not alone in doing so and it shows that many library services are increasingly having to get very tough on charges/costs in order to keep library services running.  It’s a shame though that we’re reduced to this in the UK while the tide in the USA appears to be turning towards not charging fines at all.

Changes

• Blackburn with Darwen – Opening hours cut (4 per week) at Blackburn Central.
• Essex – Pitsea Library may be closed, moved into new building as part of property development.
• Isle of Man – Charity-run Family Library may close unless commercial sponsor found.
• Northamptonshire – Registration office moves into Daventry Library.

More >

Editorial

I was sorry, but unsurprised, to see President Trump – a philistine politician if ever there was one – taking an axe to the US federal budget for libraries last week. US public libraries have, at least to my UK shell-shocked eyes, been experiencing something of a golden age, with usage up and exciting new initiatives being started, often copied a couple of years later by ourselves. There are hopeful signs that this can continue, as American libraries are more independent than their British counterparts (they can complain and lobby for extra funds for instance) and they also have a, gosh, lobbying group. Librarians there also appear to be more militant and vocal. We can hope that this will save them.

Change

• Cornwall – Camborne Library will be managed by town council control: town council offices to be moved in.
• Dorset – Lyme Regis Library given to developers – new library will be built. Tourist Information Centre co-located with Dorchester Library.
• Lewisham – Forest Hill volunteer library aims to open shop for income.
• Lincolnshire – New library building for Skellingthorpe, co-located with café and heritage centre.
• Sefton – Volunteers may run converted station as library in Birkdale.
• Vale of Glamorgan – St Athan Library to reopen as volunteer, on 1st April.
• Wirral – Leisure/culture/library service may be transferred to Trust.

Media mentions heatmap

This shows longer term trends in authorities than this post alone.  Only authorities with 6 or more are included. :

• Lancashire (12, +6), Plymouth (8, -2), Bath and North East Somerset (7, -2), Liverpool (7). Manchester (7, – 1: this is all positive news), Bradford (6). North Yorkshire (6). ).

More >

Editorial

Well, well, well, some good news.  Liverpool, having had their funding cut reduced by central government, have overturned their £1.6m cut to libraries. That would have really hurt. In addition, we’re looking at new libraries (albeit co-locations) in Conwy, Leeds, Renfrewshire (£5m !) and West Lothian.

There’s continued hassle in Lancashire, with lots of problems transferring ownership to others, but that’s to be expected when you cut libraries like that.  What’s not to be expected is claiming that no books will have been lost to the public in such a big cut, as a councillor did last week. That’s a ridiculous thing to say as anyone involved with closing libraries will tell you, and that’s not even taking into account a formal apology that, um, the same council had to make to Freckleton for losing all it’s special collection. Continuing the theme of councillors being economical with the truth, Bath have claimed the move of their central library to a location half the size further away from town had been agreed by the Libraries Task Force. I’ve checked with the Task Force and they confirm that’s simply not true and, indeed, they would not get involved in particular cases.  Perhaps the councillor meant the DCMS library unit.

By the way, did you know that there’s a search box on the right hand side of the PLN webpage, about a screen down?  Type the term you’re after into it and it’ll come up – type in one word (e.g. Bath) or, if you’re looking for two words,  you can search for (for example)  “local studies” by putting the quotation marks around them.  This will bring up the posts with those words in – then search that post (CTRL and F works) for that term.  That will bring up every use of that term or word on PLN.

Changes by local authority

• Conwy – Conwy Library to move to new £3m building, pending council confirmation, co-located with arts and museums.
• Glasgow – 3 new employment outreach centres in libraries, on top of 11 already running.
• Lancashire – Pike Hill (closed) to have volunteer library as part of community use. Silverdale Library passed to parish council/volunteers.
• Leeds – Guiseley Library to close: to move to co-location in leisure centre.
• Liverpool – £1.6m cuts to library service withdrawn: not cuts to be made.
• Renfrewshire – £5m new library in Paisley (£3.5m from council, £1.5m from Scottish Government) to replace older library.
• St Helens – 6 week consultation of library service: cuts expected.
• West Lothian – Broxburn Library moves to co-location in community centre: £400k refurbishment.
• Westminster – Chinese specialist lost.

Ideas

• Dial-a-story – recorded storytimes for users to phone in to hear.
• Sensory friendly hours – Dedicated opening for those with special needs or on the autistic spectrum.

Media mentions heatmap

This shows longer term trends in authorities than this post alone.  Only authorities with 6 or more are included. :

•  Plymouth (10, -1), Bath and North East Somerset (9, -2), Manchester (8,= – this is all positive news), Warrington (6, -2), Devon (6, =), Lancashire (6, =), Bradford (6).

More >