Editorial

The timing of the CIPFA figures for libraries is normally embarrassing for something supposedly from the information sector. The figures are published, in this age of instant communication, a full eight months after the period they cover and have a hight cost attached, despite councils giving their information for free.

However, the timing this year, a week before the general election, looks inspired. The figures clearly show the damage that has been done to the sector since 2010: a huge cut to budget which, even leaving aside inflation, is almost a third down; big decreases to staffing, issues and visits. It’s an awful record for any government and there is nothing to credibly show that Mr Johnson would change tack if given, gulp, another five years.

But I’ve looked at the latest opinion polls and it looks like the electorate will give him another five years. So keep putting on the body armour, library sector, the bumpy ride is set to continue.

Changes by local authority

• Bexley – Sidcup High Street to have combined library and cinema.
• Glasgow – Woodside Library closed for repairs. Partick Library reopens after £1.5m refurbishment.
• Nottinghamshire – Worksop Library may not open unti Summer 2020 due to flood damage.
• West Sussex – £175k cut confirmed for 2020/21. Mobile service confirmed withdrawn. Opening hours cut.

Cipfa reaction

• Britain has closed almost 800 libraries since 2010, figures show – Guardian. “Cipfa chief executive Rob Whiteman said that while spending had increased slightly in the last year, the figures showed a sustained trend where local councils on tight budgets had been forced to redirect funding to priority services such as social care.”

“We are encouraged to see that local authority spending on libraries rose slightly this year even though levels have fallen significantly over the past decade. We know we must do more to demonstrate to national and local decision makers how much libraries contribute to a range of outcomes from literacy, to health and social mobility. We are particularly concerned about the fall in book loans, which is why we’re determined to fundraise for more projects such as our BBC novels campaign that specifically targets people who are less engaged with books and reading”

Libraries Connected.

• Latest CIPFA stats reveal library numbers still falling – BookSeller. “Laura Swaffield, chair of The Library Campaign, said the newly released statistics were already “way out of date” and only highlighted the gloomier news about libraries. She said: “As always, the headlines highlight national decline – hardly surprising, with funding slashed, and hundreds of libraries gutted, closed or dumped on to volunteers. As always, there’s nothing to highlight the scores of services that still thrive despite it all, and nothing to analyse how they manage it. What a waste of essential data.””
• ‘Libraries are the universities of the streets’: authors call for a stop to further closures – I. 35 closed 2018/19.
• Libraries in the archive: snapshots of reading in Britain 1930s-1990s – Guardian. “The news that Britain has closed almost 800 libraries since 2010 has prompted us to look back at images of libraries in the Guardian and Observer archives. These are a few highlights, with snippets from their original captions and related headlines.”
• Nearly 800 public libraries closed since austerity launched in 2010 – Independent. “Spending has fallen by 30 per cent over past decade, figures reveal. Currently there are 3,583 libraries open in the UK – 35 fewer than last year and 773 fewer than in 2010, a survey from the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy (Cipfa) has found. The closure of nearly a fifth of the UK’s libraries comes after spending has declined by 29.6 per cent over the past decade, figures from Cipfa reveal. National spending on libraries topped £1bn in 2009-10 before austerity began, but then dropped to less than £750m in 2018-19, the annual survey shows.”
• These are the busiest libraries in Yorkshire after a decade of austerity cuts hit their budgets – Yorkshire Post. “The busiest libraries in Yorkshire were Harrogate, with 274,471 items issued, York with 263,082 and Sheffield Central with 235,886. The three most visited libraries – Central Manchester, Wembley Library in Brent, and Woolwich Library in Greenwich – continue to receive well in excess of one million visitors a year. The data released today also reveals how local authorities have redesigned library services in response to tightening budgets and changing consumer habits. “
• The slow extinction of our public libraries is a quiet tragedy – Telegraph (behind paywall). “in collections, leisure centre upkeep, park hedge pruning: council tax-funded contributions for which I am grateful but cannot credit with bringing much joy to my life. The library rises above, then, as the great outlier – a place where you can read the latest bestseller for nothing or rent a film; use a photocopier, should you need one, or download an audiobook from the comfort of your own home. …”
• Thousands of Welsh children took on the challenge to read during the summer holidays – Wales 247. ““Libraries in Wales are under more and more pressure, so it’s wonderful to see that over 37,000 children in Wales have taken part in the challenge at their local library this year, and this is a testament to the hard work of library staff across Wales.””

National news

• All of Boris Johnson’s claims in BBC Andrew Marr interview, from London Bridge to Brexit to social care – I.
• Books on prescription: the role of public libraries in supporting mental health and wellbeing – Academia.
• Children who own books six times more likely to read above expected level, survey finds – Independent. “The findings come as hundreds of libraries across the country have been forced to close amid spending cuts. “
• CILIP criticises Boris Johnson library claims on Marr show – BookSeller. “Library association CILIP has criticised Boris Johnson following his comments on library services, following an Andrew Marr interview where the Tory leader suggested library closures were solely down to councils’ financial mismanagement.” … “In response, CILIP c.e.o. Nick Poole said though he was “delighted” libraries were forming part of the national debate, Johnson’s comments included three key “misconceptions”.”
• Damning figures show devastating impact of a decade of Tory cuts across UK – Mirror. “A damning audit shows how thousands of children’s and youth centres, libraries, council-subsidised bus routes and public toilets have been shut since the Conservatives came to power.” The Unison analysis, from freedom of information requests to 330 councils, reveals that 859 children’s centres and 940 youth centres have been closed since 2010. More than a fifth of public toilets, 835, have been shut, while council-subsidised bus routes have fallen by almost a third – a reduction of 1,224 services, many in isolated rural services. More than one in five libraries have either closed, been privatised or are now staffed by volunteers – a decrease of 738 council-run libraries.”
• General Election 2019 – Manifesto Special – CILIP. “Our campaign to encourage all candidates to #VoteLibraries has resulted in messages of solidarity and support from across the political spectrum. So how has this support translated into the Party Manifestos?”
• Hard Times: One UK town’s struggle in the age of austerity – Al Jazeera. Chatham. “The social safety net has been badly damaged by drastic cuts to local authorities’ budgets, which have eliminated many social services, reduced policing services, closed libraries in record numbers, shrunk community and youth centres and sold off public spaces and buildings,”
• Transcript: Boris Johnson on Andrew Marr – Spectator. “I accept that and I love libraries and I want to see them properly used. They perform a fantastic variety of services for the community and they’re wonderful, wonderful places. I want to invest in libraries, but we can only do that when we get the economy really motoring.”
• Why books matter: More than 380,000 UK kids don’t own a book – Big Issue. “However, while the gap may be closing when it comes to book ownership, libraries remain under threat of closure across the country, closing off another avenue for hard-up kids to get reading.”

International news

• Australia – An ode to the public library, the gateway to an educated society – The Mandarian.
  • The Importance of Library Partnerships – Princh. “Paula Kelly Paull, Manager Learning Communities – Hobsons Bay City Council, Churchill Fellow and Board Director – Australian Library and Information Association, shares her perspective on if she believes library partnerships are worth it and if so, why.”
• USA – What Are the Larger Implications of Ex Libris Buying Innovative? – Ithanka S R. “Innovative provides a number of library systems, currently marketing both Sierra and Polaris. Its strengths have been with public, special, and smaller academic libraries. This sale represents an exit for its private equity owners. “

Local news by authority

• Bath and North East Somerset – Council marks International Volunteer Day by highlighting opportunities – Bath Echo. “Staff from Bath Central Library showcased their volunteering opportunities at the library and championed the existing volunteers by publishing their book reviews on the Bath & North East Somerset Libraries Facebook page.”
• Bexley – DRDH wins green light for cinema and library scheme in Bexley – Architect’s Journal. “The London Borough of Bexley has granted DRDH Architects planning permission for a  £6 million library and cinema for which the council is the client. The 1,923m² mixed-use building will sit on a thin strip fronting Sidcup High Street and contain a suite of rooms with a double-height café and public library.”
• Bradford – Latest wave of library strikes to take place next week – Telegraph and Argus. “For several weeks staff have been taking part in industrial action over planned cuts to the service by Bradford Council of over £1.05m in 2020/21. A number of strikes and pickets have been organised for next week by the Unite Union. Around 70 members are expected to take part. “
  • Fight to save Ilkley Library – Wharfedale Observer. Concern expressed about suggestion library moves into town hall. “Cllr Peter Mate told the meeting the suggestion came from an options paper looking at the future of libraries. He said it was “extremely unlikely” that the library would move into the town hall.”
  • More strike action in Keighley over cuts to libraries and museums service – Keighley News.
• Bromley – Libraries threatened by incorporation into leisure facilities – Arts Professional. “A company responsible for running more than 100 libraries across the UK has been condemned for allegedly exploiting its staff and closing services against the public’s wishes. The Unite union says the operating practice of Greenwich Leisure Limited (GLL), which trades as Better gyms and leisure centres, “makes a mockery of the term ‘social enterprise’.”
• Bury – Saved library venue will provide new courses for Radcliffe people – Bury Times. Dumers Lane Library closed, reopens for adult learning.
• Glasgow – Councillors give green light to Woodside Library revamp – Evening Times. “One of the city’s Carnegie libraries will be repaired to ensure public safety after councillors gave plans the green light. Work can begin on the B-listed Woodside Library, which has “deteriorated significantly” over the years, following Glasgow City Council’s decision. Permission has been granted to Glasgow Life, which runs the library on behalf of the council, to restore the building, which will include replacing its glazed dome.”
  • First look inside Partick Library which reopens after £1.5 million investment – Evening Times.
  • Refurbished Partick Library to reopen to the public today – Glasgow Live. “The revamped library has been closed for nearly a year while £1.5 million of works took place.” … “The building’s new lease of life comes as part of Glasgow City Council’s Community Asset Fund investment of £10 million into community buildings across the city, with some additional funding from the Community Revenue Fund. Before its revamp, the library had not been renovated since the 1960s and was in need of repair.”
• Hertfordshire – Andrew Bignell retires from Hertfordshire Libraries after 42 years – Hertfordshire Libraries. Youtube video showing the changes over the time. Congratulations to Andrew on his long service and retirement.
• Kent – Gravesend library in Windmill Street closed for two weeks for ‘urgent building repairs’ – Kent Online. “he site, in Windmill Street, Gravesend, will be shut for around two weeks as Kent County Council works on “urgent repairs”.”

“You may remember we took the decision to move from the old Carnegie building to the Children’s Sure Start Centre back in June 2019. In doing so, we were able to use the Dementia Friendly principles in design and layout. I have just done some evaluation six months on and it continues to be a great success. Visitor figures are up 21%, book issues up 47%, reservations up 87% (we consciously invested in a large number of new books), new membership is up 140%, we have delivered 61% more events as the space is more flexible and attendance as a consequence is up 95%.

We have been able to work with some partners in the new location because of the great facilities at the new site such as Barnardo’s. We delivered sessions to young carers, to prepare meals and network in a safe environment.  We were funded to deliver a six week Read and Feed program which was part of the Kirklees Youth Alliance “Holiday hunger” project. These sessions were to help families on low incomes prepare, cook and eat together, who could then reproduce the recipes at home.”

Kirklees Libraries via email

• Leicester – Leicester libraries put on special events this Christmas – Leicester City Council.
• Manchester – 27,000 children in Manchester don’t own a single book – Manchester Evening News. “The statistics come as libraries across the country continue to have budgets cut, with many services having to close completely. Last year, the M.E.N revealed that Manchester city council was spending nearly £8.5 million less on libraries than it did in the financial year of 2010 to 2011. At the time, the council said it was committed to providing an ‘excellent’ library service and used the refurbished Central Library as an example of investment.”
• Moray – Moray libraries offering fun adult computer sessions – Northern Scot.
• Newham – Opinion: Visit library and get lost in a book – Newham Recorder. “when I go into our libraries these days, the scene is very different; here, a small group of sixth form students chat over a project they’re working on, there, some carers talk as their toddlers play together. Libraries always were places of learning from books but now there are groups learning Yoga and crafts and meeting new friends too. Schools have regular visits to our libraries and encourage children, who, like most of us, automatically resort to a search engine to find out facts, to use books instead to stretch their minds in a different way.”

• Nottinghamshire – Worksop Library will not be fully operational again until next summer – Worksop Guardian. “Worksop Library may not be back to full working order until next summer as the clean-up from last months devastating flooding continues. Flooding affected the whole of the building recovery specialists are currently clearing and cleansing the building, whilst Nottinghamshire County Council and its property partnership ARC develop a programme of works to restore the building for use again.”
• Oldham – Children’s poet and author Joseph Coelho signs up to Oldham Library service – Oldham Council. “Oldham recently celebrated more than 1,000,000 people coming through the doors of Oldham Libraries between 2018 and 2019.”
• Perth and Kinross – More people are visiting libraries in Perth and Kinross – Daily Record. “Presenting a quarterly report to Perth and Kinross Council’s scrutiny committee on Wednesday, November 26, Culture Perth and Kinross chief executive Helen Smout announced a 1.8 per cent increase in footfall for 2018/19. She said 11 out of the 13 libraries across the local authority were seeing a “continued increase.”
• Redbridge – Is the decline of libraries affecting our society? By Shanzay Yousaf, Oaks Park High School – This is Local London. “I spoke to local resident and librarian, Fozia Jan, on just how the closure of libraries will affect future generations. She spoke to me about how the internet and social media is having a “negative impact on the amount of children coming to read as they would much rather just relax on Instagram”.”
• Suffolk – Lavenham Library confirms introduction of extended opening hours at start of 2020 – Suffolk Free Press. “Lavenham Library is set to extend its opening hours beginning in the new year, following a public consultation. Under the changes, the library in Church Street will open on Mondays, between 10am and 1pm, and increase its current hours on Fridays, opening from 10am to 1pm and from 2pm to 5pm.” … “The changes will result in a total increase in opening hours per week, at no cost to Suffolk Libraries, due to small changes to staffing patterns.”
• West Sussex – Cuts to West Sussex’s library service budget approved – Chichester Observer. “Following a public consultation, members of the cabinet approved the plans, which will save the county council £175,000 and come into effect in April.” … “The loss of the mobile service did not go down well with everyone but Duncan Crow, cabinet member for fire & rescue and communities, said some of the alternatives – hinting at the risk of closure for some of the smaller branches – were ‘quite unpalatable’.”

Editorial

It’s that joyful time of year in the election period when all the manifestos have been published and librarians can again play the game of pressing CTRL and F with the search term “libr” on them and see if it comes up with any results. So what does such a tactic show this year?

As normal, all of the party manifestos largely treat libraries as an afterthought but there are some interesting differences between them. The Conservative manifesto only mentions the already announced £250 million to be shared between museums and libraries and anything else cultural. That sounds nice but this amount is over five years and the amount for libraries will be far less per year than recent cuts in it overseen by the same party.

So, not much joy there then, but more than with the Liberal Democrats who mention libraries only as a location for the collection of free sanitary products. Let that sink in for a while before we move on.

The Greens, who I would have thought would have been right behind libraries, mention the word once for tool/equipment collection points and once to point out that they’ll keep libraries thriving. Labour, on the other hand, have clearly been alerted to the sector as they promise £1 billion – not just £250 million – for libraries, galleries and museums but also specifically mention updated IT for public libraries and the reintroduction of library standards.

Well, OK, I am probably being unfair on the Lib Dems who doubtless will spend more on local services than the Conservatives, who have shown a deep desire to cut them more andmore over the last decade. And libraries under the Greens would likely see a renaissance of the sort they have not seen since Carnegie more than a century ago. But the clear gold star goes to Labour who actually appear to show some understanding of the sector beyond that of the typical person polled at a street corner.

A shame then that, if current polling is to be believed, none of these parties stand a chance and the Conservatives will get in with a comfortable majority. Their track record has been demonstrably negative for the sector since 2010 and there is nothing in their manifesto or demeanour that suggests this will change. It suggests that, nationally, libraries should expect, best case scenario, another five more years of only slightly better conditions than now and, worse case, a continued deep decline in funding by a government continuing its policy of neglect for libraries. Library services and librarians should make their long term plans with that in mind.

NB It’s purdah time so I need to reiterate again and specially that this editorial reflects entirely my own views outside of work – and not that of my employer or anyone else in the library sector.

Changes by authority

• Bromley – £320k refurbishment for Bromley Central Library.
• Hertfordshire – Hatfield Library to move to new site.
• Hounslow – Joins London Libraries Consortium.
• Surrey – Cuts expected: some to turn volunteer and some to be co-located.
• West Dunbartonshire – One Stop Shops to co-locate into several libraries.

Party Manifestos

“We will ensure libraries are preserved for future generations and updated with Wi-Fi and computers. We will reintroduce library standards so that government can assess and guide councils in delivering the best possible service.”

“We will invest in the towns and communities neglected for too long, with a £1 billion Cultural Capital Fund to transform libraries, museums and galleries across the country”

Labour Party Manifesto 2019

“£250 million to support local libraries and museums ”

Conservative Party Manifesto 2019

“End period poverty by removing VAT on sanitary products and providing them for free in schools, hospitals, hostels, shelters, libraries, leisure centres, stadiums, GP surgeries, food banks, colleges and universities. “

Liberal Democratic Party Manifesto 2019

” Encourage a shift from models of ownership to usership, such as with car-sharing platforms and neighbourhood libraries for tools and equipment “

” We will support councils to also use this funding to nurture arts and culture in their areas, keeping local museums, theatres, libraries and art galleries open and thriving. “

Green Party Manifesto 2019

National news

• Complaint concerning CCHQ misrepresentation on social media – CILIP. “I am writing on behalf of CILIP, the UK’s library and information association, to complain in the strongest possible terms about the action taken last night by the Conservative Party in re-branding the @CCHQPress twitter account as ‘fact checking UK’ alongside the televised Leaders Debate.” … “We are therefore submitting this formal complaint on the basis that in taking this action, your Communications Team and any Party Leadership that sanctioned this action are in clear and material breach of your own Conservative Party Code of Conduct.”
• Ken Follett: Author makes plea to save our libraries – Daily Express. “My family was not poor, but a book was either two and six, or five shillings, and young families like ours did not have much disposable income. So I would only get books for my birthday and at Christmas. Then, one glorious day, I discovered libraries and their promise of unlimited free books for ever. Suddenly, it was Christmas every day. In fact, I would say the first big thrill of my life was joining Canton Library in Cardiff, aged seven”
• Libraries leading the way in exploring challenging issues – Carnegie UK Trust. “The £500k programme will support 14 projects across 16 library services to partner with universities to engage their local communities with research. Projects will cover a wide variety of topics from fake news and air quality to the menopause and multilingualism.”
• McDonnell: Labour’s broadband plan is just like a public library – Wired. ““The development of free libraries – the ability to access information, and at the same time to engage culturally with the rest of the community has always been a principle that we’re trying to advocate,” says McDonnell when asked why Labour would make its proposed national broadband service free of charge – a world first, if actually implemented. “It’s the same principle of the NHS.””
• Mozfest 2019 – Libraries Connected. “The Mozilla Festival (also known as MozFest) covers a range of topics focusing on creating a better internet. The theme for this year’s Mozilla Festival was healthy AI. The sessions were organised in broad topics as in previous years – web literacy, openness, digital inclusion, decentralisation, privacy and security, youth zone, queering, neurodiversity, dialogues and debates. Libraries Connected gave bursaries to six library workers to attend the festival.”
• Participation in Summer Reading Challenge up 2.6% – BookSeller. “The Reading Agency has reported 722,731 children took part in public libraries’ Summer Reading Challenge this summer, representing a 2.64% increase on last year’s participation.” … “Following an 8% fall last year,” …”Next year the theme of the 2020 Summer Reading Challenge will be “Silly Squad”, celebrating funny books with bespoke artwork from Laura Ellen Anderson, children’s book author and illustrator behind the Amelia Fang series published by Egmont.”
• Public Library Champion of the Year 2019: Remarkable Community Support at Carrickfergus Library – Lorensbergs. “The ways in which Jillian McFrederick and her team at Carrickfergus Library engage and serve their community are truly inspirational. Particularly noteworthy is the wide range of demographics that are supported through the many library programmes and activities.”
• The Summer Reading Challenge encourages 722,731 children to read this summer – Reading Agency. “This year’s overall figure includes 37,177 children under 4 taking part with special pre-school materials – an increase of 32% on last year.” … “95% of library authorities across England, Scotland and Wales took part this summer.”

International news

• Australia – Can you dig through spaghetti to save a ribbon? @UTSLibrary – Mechanical Dolphin. “At a time when we recognise the need to preserve digital as well as physical heritage, it would ensure that the Library Spectogram doesn’t just become “a nice thing one library had once”, yet another great innovation which is celebrated on social media and shown off at conferences, but ends up on the scrapheap when steps aren’t taking to nurture and sustain it.”
• European Union – Streaming provider AVA Library launches VOD platform with European Festival films – free streaming for library users in Serbia, England, Czechia, Finland, Portugal and Ireland – AVA (press release). “AVA Library presents eu.ava.watch, a streaming platform that provides library users across Europe with access to a variety of festival films, very rarely available on other VoD (video on demand) platforms.” … “To start streaming films on AVA EU platform, users should have a membership in one of the libraries that are participating in the project or ask a local library to join AVA. “. The English one is Sheffield.
• Global – Why The Library Intimidates Me – Interview with a non-user – Princh. “I would say that not being a strong reader definitely plays a part in it. I wouldn’t say the library intimidates me, but it makes me feel out of place because I am not an avid book reader or currently studying.” … “In my experience, I would say many libraries appear to be old and kind of dungy. I believe that they need a “face lift” to more modern times.”
• India – 2 Kerala men, who started a library in forest, face ostracisation – News Minute. “It was in July that a small library set in a remote tribal settlement in Kerala received special mention in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ‘Mann Ki Baat’ address. Now four months on, the promoters of Akshara Arts and Sports Library in Idukki’s Edamalakkudy, located in the Anamudi reserve forest, have been ostracised from the hamlet, allegedly over a 2014 book authored by one of them”
• USA – Pizza Hut’s ‘Little Free Libraries’ Look Exactly Like Mini Pizza Huts – Atlas Obscura. “When I called Pizza Hut, I was informed that this was a franchisee project, rather than a national endeavor. “We were looking at ways to become involved in our markets locally,” says Lynda Carrier-Metz, the chief marketing manager of Restaurant Management Company of Wichita.”
  • Three loaded guns found inside Phoenix’s Burton Barr library – ABC 15. ” City Librarian Rita Hamilton told ABC15 the city is now “ready to move forward with a serious discussion” about implementing metal detectors.”

Local news by authority

• Bradford – Bradford Libraries staff on strike this week – Yorkshire Post. “Unite members are taking industrial action at Keighley Library today, at Shipley Library tomorrow and Baildon Library on Wednesday over Bradford Council proposals to cut services.On Thursday, staff will strike at all 14 sites and there will be a picket and demonstration at Cartwright Hall Art Gallery.”
  • Our libraries should be treated as a national asset – Yorkshire Post Letters – Yorkshire Post.
  • Fight against ‘damaging’ cuts in Bradford goes on – Unite Live. “Unite threw down the gauntlet as more than 70 of its library and museums’ members were gearing up for four more days of targeted strike action, starting on Monday (November 18), over the cuts. Staff have already taken five days of strike action this autumn.”
  • Bradford library workers stage fourth round of action – Socialist Worker.
• Bristol – Why this Fishponds Library will be closed for a week – Bristol Live. “It follows community library conversations which took place at the start of the year, where local people mentioned they would like to see a better layout and more space within the library”
• Bromley – Bromley central library set for major £320,000 upgrade – News Shopper. “The work will include a ‘dynamic creative play area’ for younger library users and improved spaces for study and relaxation.” … “Under the new plans, books will sit alongside PCs and tablets offering age appropriate content for browsing, entertainment and games.”
• Cheshire West and Chester – Sandiway Library reopening pushed back to February after repair delays – Northwich Guardian. “The library on Mere Lane closed in September and has since undergone construction work involving complex internal and external piling. Once this is complete, the entire building will be re-carpeted, ceiling lights will be replaced and internal redecoration will be completed.
• Devon – How Learning to Share Again Cuts Waste, and Makes more Resilient Communities – Resilience.
• Dorset – Welcome to Dorset’s smallest library in the form of a converted phone box – Dorset Echo. “The Share Shed is a library of things in the town of Totnes in the southwest of the UK (also home to the Transition Town network). People can donate useful items to the library – like ladders, drills, carpet cleaners, camping, cooking and gardening equipment, and sewing machines – and others can borrow them for an affordable fee”
• Dudley – Dudley Library closed due to heating failure – Dudley News. “The library on St James Road has suffered a ‘complete failure of the heating system’ and the date of its reopening is not yet known”
• Dundee – Short-staffing leads to fall in Dundee literacy sessions for vulnerable people – Courier. “A Leisure and Culture document, passed to the Courier by an anonymous source, states there has been a 31% reduction in attendance of activities promoting reading between April 2018 and June 2019. There has also been a 20% fall in playgroup, nursery and class visits to libraries.”

Pitshanger Library has been repossessed. pic.twitter.com/2SoLa7Pi3C

— Save Ealing Libraries Campaign (@EalingSave) November 23, 2019

• Essex – Run your library? Only if you meet 14 criteria – Gazette Standard. “he document said: “We have set some minimum standards for all community-run libraries that we support and we will work closely and in partnership with you to achieve and agree them. “At this early stage, groups interested in running libraries are not expected have all the answers. “
  • Essex County Council’s new library info pack slammed by campaigners – This is Local London. ““These charity shop libraries will not work,” continued the S.O.L.E spokesperson. “Libraries need dedicated library buildings and paid and trained staff. “
  • Do general election candidates want to save our libraries? – Gazette Standard. “Save our Libraries Essex has spoken to candidates in Colchester, Harwich and North Essex and Witham constituencies. ” … “Sir Bernard Jenkin (Con), and Independent candidates Richard Browning-Smith and Tony Francis were approached but did not respond to the group.”
  • Essex library campaign group question MP candidates ahead of General Election – This is Local London.
• Hampshire – Fears raised that the axe hangs over 37 out of 52 libraries in Hampshire as part of council cost-cutting drive – The News. “The news was revealed earlier this month at the full council meeting where councillor Peter Chegwyn criticised the proposals for the library sector and said 37 libraries in Hampshire are now under threat of closure.
  Cllr Sean Woodward, executive member for recreation and heritage at the county council, hit back saying: ‘I don’t think it’s appropriate to start saying 37 libraries are under threat.’”
  • Hampshire libraries could face closure says councillor Peter Chegwyn – Salisbury Journal.
• Hertfordshire – Hatfield library to reopen at new location after plans to turn site into sexual health clinic – Welwyn Hatfield Times. “The new space for the library will be at White Lion Square – on the former Poundworld site – and will give the library more space for events and children’s activities, including a CreatorSpace to help people of all ages come together to learn and practice new skills and experience new technologies.”
• Hillingdon – Episode 69 Lara Marshall – Hillingdon Branch – London Calling – Library Pros. “Lara Marshall, Manager of the Hillingdon Borough of the London Public Library joined the podcast via Google Hangouts to talk about Hillingdon and the exciting things happening with coding and the Culture Bite Festival which is now a monthly occurrence. We had lots of laughs talking about all the wonderful things happening at Hillingdon”
• Hounslow – Hounslow joins the London Libraries Consortium – SirsiDynix. “The London Borough of Hounslow is the latest borough to join the London Libraries Consortium. Following Croydon Council’s successful go live, Hounslow has now called off the London Libraries Consortium framework, increasing the total number of authorities to 18. We are delighted to provide the underlying technology solution for the Consortium’s framework and look forward to expanding SirsiDynix solutions across London and beyond.”
• Manchester – University partners with Council to map diversity of Manchester’s languages – University of Manchester. “The city is home to over 150 languages including Urdu, Arabic, Chinese and Polish. This remarkable diversity is to be highlighted in a wide-ranging new research partnership between The University of Manchester and Manchester City Council, after the council’s library service won funding from the Engaging Libraries Programme.”
• Northumberland – People in Northumberland will have say on the future of library services – Northumberland Gazette. “In September, the local authority’s cabinet agreed that a 12-week consultation should take place to gather people’s opinions on the future of the service.” … “The cabinet has already agreed to spend up to £100,000 from reserves ‘to support the accelerated transformation of the service over the next 12 months’, by buying additional books and enhancing the range of digital resources. However, the report also noted that the service is required to make savings of £100,000 in 2020-21 and the same again the following year, as agreed in the medium-term financial plan back in February.”
• Suffolk – Libraries day attracts 4,000 extra visitors – East Anglian Daily Matters. “A day created especially to celebrate Suffolk’s libraries brought an extra 4,000 visitors through their doors – and raised £16,400.”
• Surrey – Surrey County Council will work with communities across the county to ensure library services are modernised and remain open – Surrey News. “Surrey County Council is planning to work closely with communities across the county to ensure their library services remain open with an updated library service that works for them. There are 52 libraries across Surrey now and the Council want to keep library services in each of the communities that they serve. Over a period of around 12-18 months, the Council will shape proposals in collaboration with local communities, partners and users of the library service.
  • Modernising Surrey libraries to be more accessible for all – Surrey Matters.
• Swindon – Roundabout Reading scheme promotes adult literacy – This is Wiltshire. “Available through Swindon’s libraries, Roundabout Reading encourages people to pick three reading activities from a list including online content like blogs or a webpage, magazines or newspapers, graphic novels, e-books or audio books among other things”
• West Dunbartonshire – West Dunbartonshire residents to access council services at libraries – Daily Record. “Residents are set to get access to council services through their local libraries in a bid to save £150,000 a year. As has been piloted in Alexandria for the last 18 months, the One Stop Shop services will be available at library branches across West Dunbartonshire.”
  • One Stop Shop to merge with libraries to save £150,000 – Dunbarton Reporter.
• West Lothian – West Lothian libraries to be used for new programme of activities – Daily Record. “A new partnership between Heriot Watt University and West Lothian Council will highlight the importance of listening to the community, and bringing research to those impacted by it. The council has won a £25,000 grant from the highly competitive Engaging Libraries Programme.”
• West Sussex – Crawley election candidates call for library opening hours plans to be dropped – Crawley Observer. “General Election candidates in Crawley have all called on West Sussex County Council to drop plans to reduce library opening hours. A consultation into plans to close Crawley, Chichester, Horsham and Worthing libraries at 6pm rather than 7pm and cut the mobile library service from April 2020 ended last week. Iain Dickson (Green), Peter Lamb (Labour), Henry Smith (Conservative) and Khalil Yousuf (Liberal Democrat) all spoke out against the idea, which the council said would save £175,000.”

Editorial

Good to see three new, but very different, national campaigns for libraries. The first is the VoteLibraries campaign by LibrariesDeliver which aims to raise the profile of libraries in time for the general election. The second is the library aspect of the 100 Novels That Shaped the World BBC series. Finally, the poet laureate Simon Armitage, has announced a ten year campaign to visit a library for every letter of the alphabet from A to Z. This should make for some very creative entries towards the end. Hmm, does Zennor have a library?

Changes by authority

• Bromley – Beckenham Library proposed to move into leisure centre.
• Cornwall – St Just Library passed to town council. Town council offices will be co-located into the library.
• Lancashire – Over 500 new public computers to be installed, plus other other upgrades.
• Nottinghamshire – Retford Library closed for refurbishment.

Ideas

• Lightboxes – To combat Seasonal Affective Disorder.

National news

• BBC panel reveal the 100 novels that have shaped their world – Reading Agency. “We are excited to be working with BBC Arts and Libraries Connected on their year-long celebration of literature, as an expert panel reveal the 100 English language titles that have shaped their world. From January until the culmination of festival during Libraries Week in October 2020, resources will be available for readers and reading groups around the 100 novels, divided into ten categories. These resources will provide information about the chosen themes, questions to spark discussion and further suggestions to widen your reading. “
  • From Austen to Zadie, the English language’s 100 best books are chosen by BBC panel… so how many have you read?– Mail.
• The Economic Case for Supporting Libraries – Book Riot.
• CILIP pushes for library support in election campaign – BookSeller. “VoteLibraries.uk, library supporters across the UK can sign a “#VoteLibraries” pledge, download social media elements, posters and campaign materials to use in their local area, and email their local candidates to encourage them to show their support. It is part of Libraries Deliver, an advocacy project from CILIP with the EveryLibrary Institute and follows on from research published last month, “Public Libraries: The case for support”, highlighting the positive impact of libraries and calling for investment.
  • Campaigners want you to vote for libraries in this general election – Big Issue.
  • Vote Libraries – Libraries Deliver. “Do you #LoveLibraries? Show your support for your libraries this December with our #VoteLibraries toolkit. We’ve made it easy for you to help spread the word using the resources below. The more of us that commit to voting for libraries, the more power we’ll have in the fight to keep them open.”
• Head of Engagement (Adults) – Reading Agency. Max £42k, London based. “The Reading Agency is looking for an experienced strategic manager, to shape and lead an exciting new phase of its work with adult readers, particularly those less confident readers aged 16 and above.”
• Libraries Taskforce: six-monthly progress report (April to September 2019) – Gov.uk. A summary of what is going on nationally in the sector including: ACE; LibrariesDeliver; DCMS digital access; data; building the case for public libraries; national guidelines on subjects like volunteer libraries, outsourcing libraries, benchmarking; peer reviews; skills strategy; leadership fund; innovation and BAME networks; BIPC Network; continued work on the single digital presence; living knowledge network; universal offer review; etc.

Medici (YouTube) – More information on this service is available via this (sponsored) link.

• NAG Public Libraries Forum Manchester – National Acquisitions Group. 20 November. “NAG Forum events are informal discussion days with a range of lightning talks and longer papers with plenty of time for group discussion following each presentation. Feedback from previous forum events has confirmed that the opportunity to network with other professionals from across the country is the most valued part of the day. The events provide a friendly, supportive atmosphere where people feel confident they can speak freely amongst their peers.”
• Ten year library tour for Poet Laureate Simon Armitage – BookSeller. “Over a week in each spring for the next decade, Armitage will give readings in libraries across the UK, in a tour  supported by the T S Eliot Estate and his long-time publishers Faber & Faber. Using the alphabet as a guide, his Laureate’s Library Tour will involve local communities, poets and students at each stop on the journey, to celebrate libraries. ”
  • The Laureate’s Library Tour – Simon Armitage. “So, if your library’s name or location begins with the letters A or B, do get in touch if you would like him to help celebrate your library during the A-B Libraries Tour in 2020. This will take place during the week Monday, March 16 to Friday, March 20 inclusive. “

International news

• Australia – BVN design innovative new library for Darling Square – BVN. “Replacing the current Haymarket library, the 2150m² space is four times the size of its predecessor and hosts a collection of over 30,000 items, meeting rooms, a children’s area and makerspace.”
• Finland – How Libraries Can Turn Energy Into Action – Princh. “In this week’s blog we talk with the Director of the Finnish Library Association, Rauha Maarno to have her discuss her perspective on how libraries’ and library associations can turn the love of libraries into actionable energy”
• Global – Moving stories: inside the book buses changing children’s live – Guardian. “Around the world, mobile library programmes are taking books, educational support and even counselling to communities in serious and urgent need”. Looks at Afghanistan, Mexico, Israel.
• Ireland – New library ‘magic tables’ helping people with dementia, autism – RTE “”The Tovertafel or ‘magic table’ is a box on the ceiling. It projects light animation onto a table surface and by interacting with your hands or any other tools, depending on mobility issues, the censors then interact with your movements creating the games,” dlr LexIcon library assistant Erika Csibi said.”
• South Africa – R62 000 worth of items stolen as criminals loot, vandalise Cape Town library – News 24. “As a result, the City has decided to close the library until further notice”
• USA – Female security guard is suspended after her boss ran a background check and found out she had a warrant for her arrest – for failing to return two library books – Mail. “‘This is kind of extreme for two library books. I work full-time and I’m a mom. I’m the head of my household. I can’t afford to take off work for two library books.’ “
  • A library wanted a New York Times subscription. Officials refused, citing Trump and ‘fake news.’ – Washington Post. “The librarians of Citrus County, Fla., had what seemed like a modest wish: A digital subscription to the New York Times. For about $2,700 annually, they reasoned, they could offer their roughly 70,000 patrons an easy way to research and catch up on the news. But when their request came before the Citrus County commission last month, local officials literally laughed out loud. One commissioner, Scott Carnahan, declared the paper to be “fake news.” “I agree with President Trump,” he said. “I will not be voting for this. I don’t want the New York Times in this county.”
  • Fashionable fete: Diane Sawyer and many other notable New Yorkers attend stylish gala at public library – Mail. “Over 500 attendees, including New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio and television journalist Diane Sawyer, gathered at the library’s Stephen A. Schwarzman Building for dinner and a program. “

Local news by authority

• Bristol – Librarians are left stunned after book was returned 42 years past its due date – with £10 and an apology – Mail. “A library book has been returned 42 years late along with two £5 notes and an apology. The children’s title was taken out from a library in Henleaze, Bristol before Christmas in 1976 and was due back on January 5, 1977. But it was never returned and began racking up overdue fines – while missing for a staggering 15,644 days.”
• Bromley – Plans to relocate Beckenham Library met with opposition – News in Beckenham. “More than 2,000 local residents have strongly opposed plans by the council to move Beckenham Library from its current location by the Spa Leisure Centre to Beckenham Public Hall in an effort to make way for new housing. Labour councillor for Clock House ward, Ian Dunn, set up a petition opposing the move which was signed by more than 1,000 people in just 24 hours. Bromley Council estimate that 46 housing units could be accommodated on the site with “no net loss of the surrounding green space” and it is anticipated that the development would consist of 50% affordable housing. However, it is unclear whether there will be any social housing made available as part of the move. “
• Cornwall – St Just Library has been devolved to town council – Falmouth Packet. “Under the agreement the library transferred to the town council on Friday after alterations were completed. The changeover will also include the relocation of the town council office into part of the library building in January so visitors will have access to a range of services in one place. Completed improvement work included re-roofing the central flat roof, replacing the entrance porch, remodelling the library space and creating new office space for the town council. ”
• Devon – Library offers books and much more – Tavistock Today. A look at Okehampton Library. “Wren is just starting out on Book Track, a popular scheme at the library in which children are challenged to work towards reading 100 books, with incentives of badges and a £5 book token from the Friends of Okehampton Library on completion.”
• Inverclyde – Comic creators hone their skills in special library sessions – Greenock Telegraph. “The new comic club is called Splash Panel and it’s open to 11 to 15-year-olds. Paul Bristow, of local heritage group Magic Torch, is leading the project. Paul, a digital storyteller in residence at the library, says interest in the group is high.”
• Lambeth – New library scheme to lend smart clothes to jobseekers for interviews – The Extra Mile. “To support our local community, ihateironing has been in collaboration with the Brixton Library, to help unemployed residents and ex-offenders look and feel their best for their job interviews. We have been cleaning and donating formal attire for them to wear, which we hope may contribute to a life-changing moment for someone in need.”

“It’s as easy as borrowing a book. Just show us confirmation of your job interview, and the outfit is yours for up to four days. Then, when you’ve landed your dream, pop back in to drop the clothes off, and give someone else the chance to change their life too.”

• Lancashire – Lancashire libraries invest in digital for the future – Lancashire County Council. “Starting in November and continuing during the next few months the rollout of over 500 new public access computers with the latest Windows 10 software will be installed in some libraries to replace the current equipment, whilst the remainder will have their software upgraded.”
• North Lanarkshire – Monklands libraries to start closing earlier on two weekdays – Daily Record. “Airdrie and Coatbridge libraries will be closing two hours earlier on Mondays and Wednesdays from later this month. It follows a public consultation during the summer, asking users to choose when the current hours of opening until 7pm four days per week should be retained and which two evenings should be cut as part of a savings package.”
• North Yorkshire – Pick up a free comic at the library – North Yorkshire County Council. “The giveaway is in conjunction with Thought Bubble, the Yorkshire Comic Art Festival, which this year is taking place in Harrogate for the first time, with a two-day event at Harrogate Convention Centre on Saturday and Sunday (9 and 10 November).”
• Northern Ireland – Tackle the winter blues in your library – Banbridge Leader. “Libraries NI is inviting all members of the community to come and relax in front of a light therapy box, designed to help ease the symptoms of Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), which is now in place in Banbridge and Rathfriland libraries.”
• Nottinghamshire – Retford library to close next month ahead of major refurbishment works – Worksop Guardian. “The library will close on Saturday, December 4, to undergo a total transformation which is expected to be complete in spring 2020. Nottinghamshire County Council, its cultural charity Inspire, and contractor ARC Partnership plan to make the library more visible and accessible to the local community.”
• Rochdale – Read all about it as free library scheme launches – Rochdale News. “All four and five-year-olds will receive a free card, which can be used to borrow books at the borough’s 17 libraries”
• Somerset – Late Library Hangouts – Somerset Libraries. “Libraries in West Somerset now offer a regular ‘after hours’ club where you can sit in comfort, meet with friends, blitz that homework or just relax”
• Suffolk – Changing the library narrative – Libraries Connected. “As real incomes, statutory services and community-based support are reduced, these events, activities and experiences have become increasingly important, even as libraries suffer from the same spending cuts. Talking about how we provide social value through statistics and real-life examples of socio-recreation will help us change the library story. “

2018/19 Visits = c. 5000,000 ; Loans = 586,767
2017/18 Visits = 592.313  ;  Loans = 645,118
2012/13 Visits = 1,091484  ;   Loans = 1,070,181
2007/08  Visits = 1.008.071  ; Loans = 982,04

Swindon – Usage statistics, sent in via Shirley Burnham.

• Wrexham – Have your say on the future of Wrexham’s libraries – The Leader. “Wrexham Council is inviting anyone who has not yet put their views forward to have their say – either via an online consultation survey or at one of the forthcoming roadshows where questions can be asked to council officers. So far the authority’s roadshows – held at the public libraries and other community venues, have seen more than 350 people attend. Andrew Atkinson, lead member for libraries, said: “Wrexham Council is facing its toughest financial challenges in living memory and we have some difficult decisions to make. “

Editorial

The hypocritical approach of Bradford council in trying to be recognised as a City of Culture while cutting its libraries and museums is being met by strike action and a fair bit of media coverage. Also gaining attention, although for happier reasons is Warrington – recently having gone through pretty tough times itself – which has led a rather impressive “food for fines” campaign on top of promoting other good things.

While the time of the Library Campaigners meeting from CILIP – 2pm on a work day – has not attracted many admirers, it marks another move by the professional association to be more of an activist organisations, also notable is the Change Lives move. However, those who know the old Libraries Change Lives awards will not miss it isn’t taking place this year.

The blog post by Isobel Hunter of libraries Connected in Princh (how odd that a library supply company is one of the chief websites for library thought pieces) updates us on the policy and views of chief library officers, as does the slightly less positive but very knowledgeable piece in the Library Data Blog.

National news

• Culture Minister tells MP – Libraries have the answer – Edinburgh Reporter. “Ian Murray Labour MP for Edinburgh South asked The Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport a written question recently and has shared the answer. He wanted to know what assessment the Minister had made of the potential benefits to (a) partially sighted and (b) blind people of (i) e-readers and (ii) other digital reading materials; and what steps her Department is taking to increase access to those materials. He tabled the written question on 16 October 2019 and has just received a written response. …”
• Dear Gavin Williamson, how strange that prisons have to have a library but schools do not – Guardian. Michael Rosen: “One of the curiosities of life is that schools are not obliged to have libraries, but prisons are. Step one, then, is to make it compulsory for schools, too. This has to be backed up withstep two: ringfenced money to support schools’ libraries, along with the hiring and training of librarians.”
• Delivering A Sustainable Future For UK Libraries – Princh. “In this week’s post Princh guest writer Isobel Hunter, Chief Executive from Libraries Connected discusses delivering a sustainable future for UK libraries … we also recognise that local authorities are working in times of unprecedented challenge and are struggling to manage huge financial reductions across all service areas … We believe firmly that we’re not here to keep libraries as they are, or to revert to what they were, but that our role is to help them to evolve to meet the current needs of their communities.”

“If we manage to pull all this off, it will mean a more sustainable framework for libraries; a team to support each library service to not only survive change, but to develop to its best potential; a stronger and more diverse leadership; and a clear definition for public libraries with a tool to define what this means in each locality.”

Isobel Hunter, Libraries Connected

• Libraries, Information and Knowledge Change Lives – CILIP. “Libraries, Information and Knowledge Change Lives” is CILIP’s commitment on behalf of librarians, information and knowledge professionals to tackle some of society’s most urgent challenges. It outlines our plan to become an ‘activist’ organisation, through proactive advocacy and the promotion of inclusive, participatory and socially-engaged knowledge and information services.” … “We will be consulting on each of the six priority areas through a combination of workshops, surveys and interviews. Register your interest in participating in this consultation by completing this form.”
• Library Campaigners Meeting – CILIP. London 5 November, 2pm. “The purpose of this meeting is to provide a platform for CILIP and campaigners to engage with each other, share concerns and ideas and set out how we want to work together for the good of libraries and library users in the future. The meeting is open to anyone who wishes to attend and participate, whether or not they are a current CILIP member.” … “Please register to let us know how you will be attending, especially if you wish to attend online so that we can send you the webinar details.”
• Members of the British Library Advisory Council – Cabinet Office. “The British Library wishes to appoint four members to its Advisory Council, which provides advice, insights and suggestions to the Library’s leadership. Applications are sought from candidates with expertise in a relevant field such as: collaborative (post-graduate) academic research, data sciences, life and physical sciences, education, culture, publishing, business and commerce, entrepreneurship, libraries, or the creation and management of knowledge.”
• OverDrive Founder Steve Potash speaks at House of Lords event in support of UK public libraries – Rakuten Overdrive. “OverDrive is proud to be the sole corporate sponsor of this important new report from CILIP and The Big Issue,” he said. “OverDrive is dedicated to ‘A world enlightened by reading,’ and works every day to aid the essential mission of libraries and librarians to promote literacy, education and digital skills. We urge politicians to get behind this Case for Support to secure the long-term future of this critical sector.”
• A public library data strategy – Library Data Blog. Very little about data in recent Libraries Connected report, with chief library officers concerned that they would not see any local benefit in providing data, even though it provides national benefit. “This is a misrepresentation of how essential common data standards are. But it is also understandable. The desperation of public libraries has led to a situation where the only good outcomes are seen as those that bring in more funding, with other benefits being ignored.”

International news

• Canada / USA – Libraries push back against publishing house decision to limit their access to e-books – CBC. “Beginning Nov. 1, Macmillan Publishers, one of the so-called Big Five publishing companies in North America, will only allow libraries to purchase one copy of each new e-book for the first eight weeks after it has been released. Librarians who say the decision is unfair to readers are campaigning against it. “
• USA – Michelle Obama Surprises Children at Martha’s Vineyard Public Library: ‘Some of the Kids Were Sobbing‘ – Newsweek. “The accomplished best-selling author, lawyer and wife of former U.S. president Barack Obama showed up to Edgartown Public Library at about 4 p.m. and spent about 30 minutes talking with staff and schoolchildren in the building …”
  • Bag of snakes brings new library policy in Madison County – Citizen Times. “Peggy Goforth knew the Madison County Public Library needed a new policy governing service animals when a man walked into the Marshall branch carrying a bag of snakes.”
  • From wizards to mentoring, Allegheny County’s public libraries are vital, sometimes noisy spaces – Public Source. Events are various including Roblox, reading buddies, art lessons, Jewish books on wheels, pop-up play events, ghost-hunting, bookstore. “The list of programs is long, but Bruni said the library remains rooted in the tradition that made them sprout up to begin with. “

Local news by authority

• Barnet – Have your say on Barnet’s libraries following shake-up – Times series. “People are being invited to have their say on the borough’s libraries in the wake of sweeping changes made by Barnet Council. An independent evaluation is being carried out to gauge residents’ views on the shake-up and help inform the council’s decisions on any further changes. “
  • Barnet libraries: Independent review launched as campaigners demand ‘thoroughness’ – Ham and High.
• Bradford – Library and museum strikers speak up outside Bradford’s City Library – Telegraph and Argus. “Protesters in a 14-day strike have called Bradford Council’s cuts to library and museum services “absolutely misguided” following its recent entry in the Capital of Culture bid. The Unite union, which represents around 50 striking library and museum staff, described the bid as a “speculative gamble” which is taking money out of the district’s historic and cultural hotspots. One striker explained how City Library’s move from its eight-storey building is the perfect example of the library system’s fall from grace.”
  • Paul Routledge: Librarians strike so austerity isn’t the final chapter – Mirror. “I joined the demonstration in Albert Street to hear their grievances. They have a very good case. The council is cutting almost a million pounds from its libraries and museums budget, and the same next year – a reduction of two-thirds. Some will close, others turned over to volunteers. Librarians and curators will be made redundant and services ­drastically curtailed.”
  • Strike action at Ilkley library today and tomorrow – Stray FM.
  • Bradford library workers bring the bosses to book – Socialist Worker.
  • ‘We must battle to keep vital library’ – Wharfedale Observer. “Ilkley’s MP says he will make the “strongest possible representations” for the town to keep its professionally staffed library. And the town’s councillors have also said they will fight to save Ilkley Library from closure in the face of cuts to the libraries and museums service by Bradford Council.
• Cheshire East – CE Libraries Survey 2019 – Cheshire East Council. “Cheshire East Council regularly conducts surveys about its libraries, to see what residents think about them. Previous library surveys were conducted in 2013 and 2016, with the results used to develop a Sustainable Libraries Strategy. The strategy recognises the valuable role that libraries play in communities, and commits the council to delivering them…”
• Darlington – Music sessions for Darlington toddlers get brand new songs and equipment – Northern Echo. “Crown Street library has refreshed its existing Bookstart Rhymetime sessions with some new songs and some brand new equipment. “
• Derbyshire – Green light granted to build a new riverside library – Derbyshire Live. A look back at the two year project to open a new library in Burton in 1974.
• Fife – Halloween parties to take place in Fife libraries this weekend – Courier.
• Inverclyde – Top author meets fans on visit to Greenock library – Greenock Telegraph. “Helen visited the library in the last of Inverclyde Council‘s ‘A Chat With’ series of free live literature events in local libraries. “
• Lancashire – Lancashire Libraries Will Take Part In The Great North West Read – Preston Hub.
  • Lancashire libraries to host group reading events – Lancashire Telegraph.
• Lincolnshire – Councillors pledge to fight any cuts at Deepings Library – Rutland and Stamford Mercury. “Deepings district Independent councillor Ashley Baxter says he is ‘concerned’ to hear Lincolnshire County Council plans to ‘downsize’ the IT provision at the library from nine computers to three in total”. Council says computers out of date: ““The basic offer for community hubs will be two public-use computers, one for admin, a printer, internet connection and public Wi-Fi. However, we realise a small number of busier hubs are used to having more computers than that, so we will be speaking to each site to identify what additional equipment they might require and how this could be funded.”
• Liverpool – A heritage first for Central Library – Liverpool Express. “On Saturday (26 October) a brand new Heritage and Culture event will take place which will see a day full of talks and sessions which help people date and trace their family history. There will also be 40 stallholders from groups such as Garston Historical Society, Friends of Anfield Cemetery, Williamson Tunnels Heritage Centre and the Anglican Cathedral Archive who will be on hand to give advice to visitors. “
• Manchester – Stephen Fry latest star to take over the PA at Central Library – Manchester City Council. “The star of Blackadder, QI and A Bit of Fry & Laurie has recorded a message to be played to library users, letting them know that it’s time to gather their belongings, check out their books and save any work they’re doing on the library’s freely-available computers. But rather than just providing this simple public information – which would usually be issued by the library’s security staff – Stephen also adds a heartfelt message to profess his love for libraries as ‘magical, sacred places’. Stephen says: “Thank you most of all for using the library.  Aren’t libraries magical, sacred places?   “And the more you use them and the more you remind other people of their existence and recommend that they use them too, the better it will be for the health of the nation.”
  • Why you’ll hear Stephen Fry’s dulcet tones at Manchester’s Central Library this week – Manchester Evening News.
• Northamptonshire – District council ‘loans’ £184k to Moulton parish council to keep library open – Northampton Chronicle. “Moulton Parish Council has drawn up plans which would see it provide a community library in the current facility at Moulton Community Centre. This would take advantage of an offer from the county council to provide books, ICT and other support in return for an annual fee from the parish council.”
• North Yorkshire – Baroness announced as patrol of charity running Richmondshire libraries – Richmondshire Today. “Catterick, Richmond and Colburn Community Libraries (CRACCL) has announced Baroness Angela Harris as the new patron of the charity. Catterick, Richmond and Colburn Libraries are managed by CRACCL, in partnership with North Yorkshire County Council who support the charity with paid staff.”
• Reading – Tilehurst Library to close for improvement works – Reading Chronicle. “It will cover improvements to the library’s energy efficiency – including boiler replacement, alongside upgrades to heating systems, wiring and electrics. “
• Sheffield – The banned list: Why people have been barred from Sheffield libraries and leisure centres – Star. “Fighting, aggressive threatening behaviour and swearing – these are just some of the reasons dozens of people have been banned from Sheffield libraries and leisure centres.” … “Libraries had 13 cases of disruptive behaviour – one which ended with the police being called – and three people using computers inappropriately. “
• Shropshire – Shrewsbury community creates its own children’s library – Shropshire Star. “The ‘Little Lovelyland Library’ has been created by social enterprise Lovelyland which works creatively with schools and community groups to encourage better use of outdoor spaces. “
• Suffolk – Overdue book donated back to library after 30 years – Eastern Daily Press. “More than three decades passed before the book was handed in to Bungay Community Library, on Wharton Street, as part of a pile of donations to the library.”
• Walsall – Libraries will close on Sundays in Walsall to save council around £40,000 – Birmingham Live.
• Warrington – Hundreds take part in Warrington’s cultural activity event – Warrington Guardian. “More than 750 people embarked upon Warrington Museum and Library to get to the heart of the town culture. The Fun Palace event is a national campaign aimed at immersing communities in culture and get them trying something new. “
  • Library users donate ‘Food For Fines’ at Warrington’s libraries – Livewire Warrington. “A trolley-load of food items has been collected for Warrington Food Bank following LiveWire’s ‘Food For Fines’ initiative that ran during the recent Libraries Week.”
  • Libraries swap fines for donations to food bank – Warrington Guardian.
  • Libraries collect a trolley load of items for Foodbank – Warrington Worldwide.
  • Padgate Library’s Lego Club wins national CILIP award – Warrington Guardian.
  • Why libraries can help with lifelong learning – Warrington Guardian. “These are challenging times but I believe that investment in public libraries and early years is the best investment we could make in our local communities and it will give a lasting and transformative returns.”
• Worcestershire – Nostalgia: Mobile libraries for rural readers – Worcester News. “Today there is still a mobile library service touring the highways and byways of the county, albeit in considerably reduced form, underpinning the importance of the observation in the Worcestershire County Library annual report of 1953 by county librarian RR Lawson: “The vast improvement in the quality and quantity of reading in the areas served by the mobile library service is proof that the rural dweller is a no less discriminating, nor less voracious, reader than his brother in the town, provided similar facilities are at his disposal.”
• Wrexham – Chirk residents have their say at town’s library consultation – Border Counties Advertiser. “A public consultation session was held at the library on Thursday, to gather views and suggestions from people in the town about how the services can be altered to improve them while saving funds. Wrexham County Borough Council (WCBC) has been asked to make budget savings of up to £300,000 at the county’s libraries over the next two years.”

Undoubtedly the big news this week is the £250 million in extra funding announced by the DCMS. This is welcome, although a study shows that this is over five years (therefore actually meaning £50 million per year), with half looking to be pretty much accounted for already (o-ho, now it’s down to £25 million) and the remainder to be shared with museums. Hmm. So that’s down to £12.5 million per year if public libraries are as successful as museums in bidding. Still, nothing to be sneezed at, although that’s less than 2% of the existing total budget each year for libraries in England, so it will not have an earth shattering impact and, just to be more depressing, the average annual decline in library services budget since 2010 has been more than that. I hope the sector succeeds in bidding for its fair share and that it uses it for projects with long-term impact rather flash-in-the-pan-but-looks-good projects one often associates with such things.

Libraries Week saw a lot of good news stories, including a successful Lego competition. The one initiative with the most long-term impact though was Leeds going fines-free and also removing the requirement for ID when joining. The failure of libraries to openly not trust prospective joiners to give their correct names and addresses when they are ask for a library card has been a quiet shame for many services for a while now so one hopes the example of Leeds, along with that of the scores of library services already not requiring ID with no ill effects, will encourage those still with trust issues to have a look at their culture and perhaps stop turning away people from joining quite so much in future. Bath and North East Somerset has also chosen this week to get rid of fines, making the strength of this trend fairly undeniable, with 12 services in the UK subscribing to it compared with 2 just a year or so ago.

Changes by local authority

• Bath and North East Somerset – Now fine-free.
• Coventry – Earlsdon volunteer library secures two year lease from council.
• Derbyshire – Opening hour cut consultation on Brimington, Clowne, Creswell, Duffield, Gamesley, Killamarsh and Somercotes.
• Leeds – Goes fines-free, waives existing fines, removes ID requirement for joining.
• Moray – £220k cut means substantial cut in opening hours to Lossiemouth, Burghead, Dufftown and Fochabers from 96 to 44 hours per week.

Ideas

• Service Libraries Day – Suffolk run a “Suffolk Libraries Day”.

National news

• Billy Connolly: a very Scottish story – Herald Scotland. “He hated school but loved libraries. “People often say that football and boxing are the ways out of the working class and they are your ticket out of that kind of life, if you happen to want to leave it,” he says. “But, for me, the library is the key. That is where the escape tunnel is. All the knowledge in the world is there. The great brains of the world are at your fingertips.”
• Bobby Seagull’s “Manifesto for Libraries” – EveryLibrary. “HM Government has an opportunity to transform lives across the UK by investing in the future of our libraries. That is why I am calling on Ministers, Members of Parliament and representatives in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland to get behind my 10-point Manifesto …”
• Carrickfergus manager is Public Library Champion for 2019 – Carrickfergus Times. “Judges highlighted the importance and variety of the many events and activities Carrickfergus Library hosts on a regular basis. These include a ‘New Mums of under Ones’ group, a walking club, GOT IT computer sessions, a drop-in for teenagers with autism, ‘Beginners Guitar Group’, storytime sessions and the ‘Memory Lane Café’ for people with dementia which is supported by the Alzheimer’s Society.”
• Digital focus for Libraries Week as Bobby Seagull publishes manifesto – BookSeller. “The annual event, sponsored by Nielsen Book and Rakuten Overdrive, will feature coding clubs, the publication of “University Challenge” star and CILIP Library Champion Bobby Seagull publish a manifesto for libraries. Seagull is calling on politicians to invest more in the service through a £50m improvement fund and “fair funding” for local authotrities .”
• England’s libraries and museums get share of £250m boost – BBC. “Libraries, museums and other cultural institutions in England are to benefit from a five-year £250m government fund. The Department for Culture, Media and Sport said it would set aside £125m for the upkeep of libraries and museums.”
• Lifeline for Libraries – Express. “Brexit policy is not and cannot be the only mark of a good government. It is essential that the domestic agenda to improve the lot of people in this country and protect the things that give life value is also delivered. So it is very welcome that the Queen’s Speech will include plans for an extra £250million for libraries and museums.” … “It is certainly a sign that Mr Johnson is determined to make Britain a fairer and better place that he has devoted funds for this cause.”
• New £250 million Culture Investment Fund launched – DCMS. Over £125m for libraries and museums.
• York rail museum handed £18.5m from ‘biggest fund in a century’ – Yorkshire Post. “The National Railway Museum in York, which attracted more than 820,000 people last year, has been guaranteed £18.5m from the pot, claimed by ministers to be the biggest one-off investment in museums and neighbourhood libraries in the last century.” … “The new fund will see a total of £125m ploughed into regional museums around the country.” … “”The Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport said it would be delivered in tranches of £50m for each of the next five years. Coventry, which will succeed Hull as the UK’s City of Culture in 2021, will get £7m from the fund.”
• Game Library Camp – Eventbrite. Saturday 9 November, Leeds. “With sessions on developing games collections, running tabletop gaming events, games based learning, escape rooms and interactive fiction it provides an opportunity to learn how games are being used across the library and information sector. As well as scheduled sessions, attendees can add their own topics to the afternoon discussion sessions. The full list of speakers and detailed schedule can be found at https://librarycamp.game.blog/“
• GLL-run Libraries rated ‘Excellent’ by users – GLL. “”The latest survey shows customer satisfaction scoring an ‘Excellent’ rating of 97% in September 2019. Meanwhile the Net Promoter Score (NPS) indicating the percentage of customers who would recommend the service, rose by 6% to 63%. Scores above 30% are considered ‘Excellent’” … “Library visits in Greenwich increased from 1.49m in 2010 to 2.57m in 2018/19; Wandsworth topped the table of issuing authorities in London with 1,469,021 items issued; Bromley Libraries continue an upward trajectory, with issues up 4% to 1,454,806; Lincolnshire Libraries issued 2m items for the first time; Dudley Libraries added 5% to their annual issues – up to 971,663”
• Lego Libraries Winners – Libraries Week. Padgate Library in Warrington wins. “It is the programme of activities outlined above and the future plans for the Business Case which have influenced our LEGO Library of the Future. This can be seen in the Lecture Theatre, Art Gallery, Coffee Shop with walking group leaving the building  and a Meditation Garden. In the future we would like to be able to offer rehearsal space and a recording studio for local music groups. Having access to 24 hour issuing of items from an automated outside system would be a dream.”
• Libraries Connected announces major new programme for The Novels That Shaped Our World festival – Libraries Connected. “Led by Libraries Connected and funded by a £253,000 grant from Arts Council England’s National Lottery Project Grants programme, with additional support from BBC Arts, the year-long multi-platform engagement collaboration marks 300 years since the birth of the English language novel. ” … “Libraries Connected will work with BBC Arts and libraries to deliver a programme of innovative activities for all communities, from voracious readers to those who haven’t read a novel in years, with opportunities for everyone to try something new to read. Libraries will commission artists, creatives and local partners who specialise in working with vulnerable groups, including refugees, young people at risk of knife crime and adults with dementia.”
• Libraries Connected launches programme for BBC Novels That Shaped Our World festival – BookSeller.
• Maddie’s Do You Know? – BBC. “Maddie learns how a library works and visits a factory to discover how a book is made”
• Public Libraries 2030 and NewsGuard Announce Partnership to Bring Media Literacy Tool to European Public Libraries – Newsguard. “NewsGuard and Public Libraries 2030 are bringing NewsGuard’s Media Literacy Partnership Program to libraries in the UK, Germany, Italy, France, and Belgium. NewsGuard uses trained journalists to rate and review thousands of news and information websites for credibility and transparency practices.”
• When is a library a lifeline? – Arts Council England. Kerry Hudson: “A kid who was smart but had nowhere to turn smart into a future. Nowhere, that is, except libraries, where I was always welcomed. Where no one asked anything of me. Where the books on the shelves provided portals to other worlds that might be mine if I just held on. Each time I picked up a book and read of a life that was not mine but that might be one day I was sent the message ‘keep going, don’t stop, keep hoping.’ So I did. Now I write books that sit in the same libraries that gave me life.”

International news

• European Union – EU Library Factsheets – Public Libraries 2030. “We created a series of Libraries and Skills fact sheets which show key statistics from libraries alongside EU DESI (Digital Economy and Society Index) data for every EU member state, in partnership with Princh and the International Federation of Library Associations (IFLA) Library Map of the World. This provides a surprising mix of data to use with local and European policy makers.
• Finland – Sports clubs in Finland offer season tickets on loan from local libraries – Uutiset. “Sports clubs in Finland are teaming up with their local libraries to offer season tickets on loan in a bid to fill stands and provide opportunities to support local outfits. Basketball team Helsinki Seagulls is reportedly the first team in Finland to launch a campaign that will allow library-goers to borrow a season ticket to the club’s games from the Töölö library. Seagulls’ sports director Toni Leppänen told daily Helsingin Sanomat that the team wants to offer members of the public an opportunity to see a basket ball game at least once.”
• Global – A Map of Banned Books – Princh. “This post will shine a light on many books that have been banned to the “dark”. In today’s post there will be a map of banned books in an infographic format. “
• Portugal – The Gaming Library That Helped a Neglected Neighborhood Find a New Identity – Vice. “When the city council announced plans in 2012 for a new local library, Marvilans eyed it with skepticism. Lisbon city hall officials envisioned this and other “libraries of the future” as a way to directly connect with locals, address illiteracy, and tackle inequity, but the library team says many residents saw it differently: just another imposition … It could have remained only a library, eyed askance and left empty by wary Marvilans. But an unusual head coordinator has taken an everyday building and turned it into a local fixture with gaming programs unlike anything in Portugal.”

“Despite outsiders’ doubts, Marvila library’s pro-gaming policy has changed community dynamics. Oliveira said parents no longer worry about kids’ whereabouts and safety. With the library close to the school, kids go immediately after classes to hang out with friends, get help with homework, and play games. When the library opens later on weekends, he says they line up for an hour just to get in and play. “

• USA – Philadelphia City Councilmember Pushing To Get Rid Of Library Late Fees – CBS Philly. “The Free Library of Philadelphia collects about $400,000 in late fees per year, which accounts for nearly $46 million of the library’s budget. “Those fines are regressive financial penalties that disproportionately impact people and communities who can least afford to pay them”
  • As the welfare state decays, public libraries become sites of social trauma – Raw Story. “Public libraries have become a bellwether for our empire in decline, as a lack of social services has led to many libraries becoming de facto social agencies. But librarians are not trained as social workers, and many have come to suffer invective and even violence that they don’t deserve and never asked for.”
  • Chicago Got Rid Of Late Book Fees At Public Libraries, Will NYC Do The Same? – Gothamist. Very largely in favour of going fines-free but question over where to get funding to pay for it.
  • College Students Just Want Normal Libraries – Atlantic. “Yet much of the glitz may be just that—glitz. Survey data and experts suggest that students generally appreciate libraries most for their simple, traditional offerings: a quiet place to study or collaborate on a group project, the ability to print research papers, and access to books.”
  • Petition: Tell U.S. libraries to stop pushing ‘drag queens’ on our kids – Life Petitions. “A cross-dressing man is coming to a library near you, to teach your child about “gender fluidity,” and you are actually helping to fund him with your state, local and federal tax dollars.” 53,556 signatures at time of checking.

Local news by authority

• Aberdeenshire – Young north-east readers win awards at event – Evening Express.
  • LINA launches Peterhead and Banff libraries as first centres for rural entrepreneurship – Buchan Observer. “Peterhead and Banff libraries are the first locations to launch Library Innovation Network Aberdeenshire (LINA), a partnership between Robert Gordon University (RGU) and Aberdeenshire Council providing modern co-working spaces and resources to support business creation and drive economic growth.”
• Bath and North East Somerset – Hunt is on for budding young crime writers across Bath & North East Somerset – Bath Echo. “Stories should be 1,000 words or less and have a crime story theme. Entries must be received no later than Monday 10th February 2020.”

Big news! We no longer charge late fines for books. We can be a more inclusive service and it’s extra pounds in your pocket! For full details check our website – link in bio! #bathneslibraries #libraroes #librariesweek2019 #LibrariesWeek #inclusive #removingbarriers pic.twitter.com/yb1EvEkn0n

— Bathnes Libraries (@BathnesL) October 8, 2019

• Birmingham – Visitor numbers at £188m Library of Birmingham more than halved – Birmingham Live. “From a glorious high of 2.4 million visitors in the first year following its opening, only 944,000 people used the services at the landmark building in the last year.” … “At the same time, the council is still paying more than £10 million a year to clear the debt it owes for the £188 million building – with more on top each year to cover operating and staffing costs.” … “The library was forced to cut its opening hours dramatically within two years because of budget pressures. After initially opening for 73 hours a week, its hours were slashed to just 40 a week by the start of 2015, and half of its 188 staff were axed.” … “It also houses the privately operated Brasshouse Language Centre.”
• Bolton – International bestselling author Jojo Moyes books in at Bolton Central Library to launch her new book – Bolton News. “… she chose Bolton Library as one of just a handful of venues in the UK to launch her new book ­—which she describes as a ‘love letter to libraries’ ­— reflecting the growing role that Bolton libraries play in the community, while nationally such resources are being axed.” … “The Giver of Stars is based on the Pack Horse Library Project, in which horseback librarians in the Appalachian Mountains delivered books to families, and is already already a bestseller. “
• Brighton and Hove – The joy of public libraries – Bright Green. “This February, we challenged a proposed cut to library funding in this year’s council budget, managing to find the funds to replace half of the proposed cut in our amendments. This additional funding ensured the library service had more support in the challenging times we face. We believe that prevention is better than cure – cutting public services costs more economically, and socially, than it will ever save in the short term. It’s this that pushes us to continue to protect our libraries in the city.”
• Buckinghamshire – “Our libraries have to much more to offer than just books – Bucks Herald.
  • 20 Copies of Quran in English Gifted to Libraries in Buckinghamshire, England – International Quran News Agency.
  • Chesham Imam presents Quran translation to county libraries – Bucks Free Press.
• Coventry – Historic Earlsdon Library in Coventry agrees two-year lease in bid to secure future – Coventry Observer. “Plans are also afoot to transform the historic 107-year-old red-brick building into more of a “community culture hub” hosting film nights, choir evenings and improved internet access to appeal to the city’s growing student population. Last year a charity was established to continue library provision at the formerly Coventry City Council-run library. It is now run by a dedicated team of 77 volunteers and regularly attracts more than 1,000 visitors a week.” … “The two-year lease gives us a good period of time to explore ways to raise money that can sustain the library in the longer term, while the council provides initial support by meeting utility bills and some other costs in addition to a bursary to cover our legal fees.”
  • One of Earlsdon’s oldest community assets has secured its future for the next two years – Band Hatton Buton Solicitors.
• Derbyshire – Have your say on proposals to reduce opening hours at these seven Derbyshire libraries – Derbyshire Times. “Derbyshire County Council has launched consultations at the following libraries so that people can give their views on opening times and reduced hours; Brimington, Clowne, Creswell, Duffield, Gamesley, Killamarsh and Somercotes. The changes are part of an overall revision of opening hours across all county council libraries. As well as reduced opening hours, the council’s Libraries for Derbyshire programme, agreed last year, also included transferring 20 of the council’s 45 libraries over to community groups and organisations.”
• Devon – Drone racing, children’s parties and shopping – Radio Exe. “The number of people who used Devon’s libraries fell by six per cent last year, compared to the previous 12 months, with stock issues falling by seven per cent. The number of events and activities that took place though rose 14 per cent, there was a 32 per cent increase in event attendance, and while physical stock issues dropped, eBook issues rose 25 per cent.”
• East Riding of Yorkshire – East Riding Libraries Launches New Virtual Book Club – Yorkshire Coast Radio. “To mark World Mental Health Day today (10 October), the first title which customers can download in either eBook or eAudiobook format is the award winning and critically acclaimed ‘Reasons to Stay Alive’ by Matt Haig. The book will be available for up to 500 people to download at any one time, for the next month.”
• Edinburgh – Library Week – Celebrating Libraries in a Digital World – Edinburgh Reporter.
• Gateshead – Gateshead celebrates National Libraries Week – Gateshead Council. “Gateshead born, award-winning author and Freeman of the Borough David Almond said “The free public library is one of civilisations greatest achievements. It’s a place of exploration, learning, enjoyment, discovery and freedom.”
• Hertfordshire – Swap old slippers for free – Hertfordshire County Council. “Old worn-out slippers are often responsible for trips and falls, which can lead to hospital stays and loss of independence. With winter approaching, we are organising ‘Slipper Swap’ events where older people and less mobile residents can swap their old slippers for a new free pair of anti-slip ones.”
• Isle of Wight – Isle of Wight Council are celebrating libraries in a digital world – Isle of Wight County Press.
  • Celebrating libraries in a digital world – Island Echo.

BIG announcement: from today we’re going completely #finesfree – no more fines! This comes with an amnesty, meaning all current fines are wiped. Also, no more need for ID to prove your identity. Libraries are for everyone! #removingbarriers #LibrariesWeek pic.twitter.com/MpNtyrw5sp

— Leeds Libraries (@leedslibraries) October 7, 2019

• Leeds – Leeds libraries axe fines for late library books – BBC. “Libraries in Leeds will no longer fine people for returning books late in a bid to boost numbers using the service. All current fines owed on overdue books have been wiped in an amnesty, said Leeds Libraries. The chief librarian said: “By changing our policy and also making it easier to join, Leeds Libraries will be accessible to more people than ever”. People will also no longer need to show proof of identity and address to join the free service”
  • Leeds libraries scrap fines for late book returns to make reading ‘accessible to more people’ – I. “The council is owed more than £100,000 in fines – but that’s a price it considers worth paying”.
  • Leeds libraries are abolishing fines for late book returns – Yorkshire Post.
  • Leeds libraries writing off £100,000 of fines and scrapping late fees altogether – Leeds Live. “Leeds Libraries said it was able to write off the outstanding fines, which are ‘in the region of £100,000’, following a number of back office changes, including a new procurement system. It said the £100,000 had been recouped without any impact on services or staff.”
• Lincolnshire – Discover digital delights at Library Week events in Rasen – Market Rasen Mail. “Market Rasen Library will join with others across the county to host a variety of workshops, drop-ins and events.”
• Liverpool – Liverpool MakeFest – 5 years in the making – DCMS Libraries. “For our 5th anniversary event we held a world record attempt to build the tallest 3D printed rocket. We think it was successful but it will be verified in the autumn so watch this space! There were also 3,450 people attending and 60 Makers. To accompany Liverpool MakFest the library service curated and installed an exhibition that celebrated women in science and ran throughout the summer.”
• Midlothian – Opening hours change at Midlothian libraries – Midlothian Advertiser.
• Moray – New reduced opening hours for Moray libraries as council cuts costs – Press and Journal. “Moray Council has planned to drastically reduce the opening hours of libraries in Lossiemouth, Burghead, Dufftown and Fochabers from 96 to 44 hours per week. The reduced hours at four of the 11 libraries in Moray is in a bid to make savings to the council’s budget whilst keeping the facilities open. The hard-pressed council has recently confirmed plans to made about £10million worth of cuts and it is predicted the reduced hours will save them an additional £220,000.”
• Northern Ireland – Have a “go on IT” at the library – Carrickfergus Times. “Libraries NI is offering free computer training sessions and one-to-ones for adults in local libraries. Booking is essential at these events and everyone is welcome. “
  • Bloggers Set To Inspire On The New Libraries NI #GetBloggingNI Events – Love Belfast. “The Libraries NI event is designed to encourage potential bloggers to get started and will provide hints, tips and tricks towards success as well as giving participants an inside glimpse of the enjoyment of being a blogger. “
• North Yorkshire – Libraries Week: why it’s a month-long celebration in North Yorkshire – Scarborough News. “A new Book Bingo scheme is also launched today in a bid to inspire residents to try reading something new. You can pick up a bingo card at any library.”

Absolutely. Doing an event in N. Ireland, I was told that during the troubles, libraries were the only neutral space in many communities.

— Ann Cleeves (@AnnCleeves) October 11, 2019

• Shropshire – Roadshow gathers feedback on services provided by Oswestry Library – Advertizer.
  • Library visitors in Whitchurch quizzed on new strategy – Whitchurch Herald. “”It’s part of a six week consultation and the idea is that we can go away with the data and come back with improvements.” “
  • Shropshire Council reveal library and theatre visits increase by thousands – Whitchurch Herald. “The libraries continue to work hard to continue to increase visitor numbers following a long-term decrease. Visitor numbers for Q1 2019/20 were 915,800 compared to 900,461 at Q1 2018/19.”
• Suffolk – Stradbroke Library manager ‘blown away’ by celebratory artwork – Diss Express. “The three-panelled piece of work – conceived by artists Hannah Weeks, Christine Cooper and Kay Edwards – represents the community café, library and post office which are housed in the former courthouse building in Queens Street.”
  • Suffolk Libraries day: Karate, cakes and unicorns – East Anglian Daily Times. “Activities in Ipswich will include a book mountain and cake sale at Ipswich County Library, the chance to take your anger out on a pad in the Karate event at Gainsborough Community Library or the singathon on the Cornhill.” … “The Book Journey Challenge has been the biggest event of all and has involved all of the libraries pulling together to transport a book by a local author around every single location in Suffolk to raise awareness for the day.” … “Suffolk Libraries day has been sponsored by loads of businesses including Adnams, Ipswich Buses and East of England Buses who have all contributed to the book journey and other activities.”
  • Can you spot your child at the Chantry Library Cinderella disco? – East Anglian Daily Times. “Dressed as beautiful princesses themselves, they got to bop along to their favourite songs and have their picture taken with the Disney heroine. Chantry Library manager Vicki Mann said: “It was just so magical, at the end of the disco the clock chimed midnight and Cinderella ran off leaving her slipper behind.” … “The library has also hosted a Womble-inspired litter pick and a craft fair.”
• Warrington – Out-of-this-world success for libraries reading challenge – Warrington Worldwide. “All together this summer: * 2,009 children in Warrington took part – up 11 per cent on last year and 28 per cent up on 2017. * 1,033 children finished the challenge – up 19 per cent on last year and 20 per cent on 2017. * 9 young people volunteered a total of 58 hours supported the challenge– compared to seven young people and 53 hrs last year. * 137 children joined a library to take part, up 57 per cent on last year * 280 youngsters took part in the Under 5s challenge – up 21 per cent on last year and 36 per cent in 2017. * Penketh Library had the most children taking part with 338. * 17 children took part in the challenge at the summer scheme in St Elphin’s Park.”
  • Over 750 people enjoy visiting a ‘Fun Palace’ in the revamped Museum & Library – Warrington Worldwide. “Since 2014 a total of 1367 ‘Fun Palaces’ have been held with over 450,000 people taking part. This was the second year that LiveWire’s Community Librarian Team has held a ‘Fun Palace’ event – following a successful one at Padgate Library in 2018. Over 750 people came through the doors on Saturday October 5 at the newly-revamped Warrington Museum & Library on the day, joining in the ‘Fun Palace’ creativity, which included activities like children’s yoga, flower arranging, Chinese calligraphy, storytelling, poetry reading, family craft activities, signing choir, wildlife drawing, make-up demonstrations, DJ workshops and so much more.”
• Wokingham – Library challenge encourages young members to get reading – Wokingham Today. “Out of the 2,014 children who successfully completed the challenge, 378 had previously not been members of the library before signing up.” … “A poetry and short story competition ran alongside the ‘Space Chase’, with winners presented with a certificate, goody bags and complimentary tickets to the Wokingham Children’s Book Festival.  “