Editorial

Plans to move certain services away from children’s centres into libraries in Northamptonshire is raising some eyebrows.  On the one hand, there’s a natural fit between libraries and parents, as anyone who has ever been in a children’s library will attest.  On the other, there’s a worry over confidentiality and the suitability of discussing problems over the library counter.  In the final analysis though, it was recently revealed that Northamptonshire’s libraries suffered from over 120 closed hours due to staff shortages and, perhaps not entirely unrelatedly, a reduction in visitors of a fifth over two years.  Anything which will improve these figures is likely to be grabbed,

Changes

• Cambridgeshire – £1,579,000 cut (so budget is now £7,389,000) in last two years. 13 libraries still under review.
• Northamptonshire – LibraryPlus service to expand services for under fives and families to incorporate information and advice, registration services, activities for children and recruitment of volunteers for children’s centre services.

More >

Editorial

A couple of national initiatives are in the news today. The first is £450k to be spread amongst ten library services to boost local businesses.  The second is an invitation to tender from the Society of Chief Librarians for the e-lending pilots – even if you’re not directly interested, the document is useful to read to get an idea of the aims involved.  Neither gained the interest of the BBC which has a story about a group called “The Kindness Offensive” who are running what appears to be a volunteer-run library in Islington in what appears to be a gesture of well-meaning goodwill towards libraries and books in general. There are surreal aspects (Mr “Goodfellow”? Really) to the story and one suspects the paid library staff in Islington where it is based may not be entirely on-side with the development.  However, something we should all be on side with is having therapy dogs in libraries. Anyone who has these at their library, do please let me know (via ianlibrarian at live.co.uk).

More >

More >

Editorial

The DCMS appears keen to promote the concept that libraries are in long-term decline and that they need to evolve or die. That the department has a vested interest in shifting any blame from itself (and the libraries minister who has recently been the first such in history to have had librarians pass a vote of no confidence in him) hardly needs to be said.  Thankfully, the opposing viewpoint – that the deepest cuts in peacetime history to libraries budgets combined with a hands-off policy from the DCMS may also explain the figures – has also been given billing in the media.  Closures and “hollowing out” of library services are necessarily going to adversely affect usage.

In some ways, Buckinghamshire has been several years ahead of trend when it comes to public libraries.  It pushed through closures which caused protests and then volunteer-run libraries more than six years ago. The relative success of these then led to yet more volunteer run libraries last year, with the lessons having been learnt.  A heartwarming Big Society success story? Hardly.  The council has just now announced yet more cuts to the service, despite Bucks being one of those councils least affected by the cut in government funding. Another hard-learned lesson from Bucks therefore may be that volunteering in libraries doesn’t stop the cuts, it just encourages more.

Changes

• Buckinghamshire – A further £300k cut (at least 1 less mobile library) planned 2013/14: 2012/13 cuts inc: £488k cut achieved 2012/13 by passing libraries to volunteers. £200k saved by cutting duplication/back office, £100k cut courier/information services.
• Newcastle – Jesmond Library reopens as volunteer-run.
• Northamptonshire – March visitor figures fall from 266,795 (2011) to 204,500 (2013).
• North East Lincolnshire – Grimsby closed for two months for building work. Top floor will close permanently.
• South Gloucestershire – Staff striking over council decision to cut pay by almost 10% (by removing Saturday enhancement).

More >

Editorial

Sunderland have confirmed nine out of their twenty libraries will close, much to the annoyance of those who hoped the future of the service would be voted on a full meeting of councillors.  That’s perhaps one end of the process there, although some of those libraries may survive in a non-council.  The other end appears to have started, with a fearful symmetry, in Derbyshire today, with the announcement that there will be major cuts to the library service there due to the whole council having to lose a third of its budget.  It was pointed out that closing every single library in the county today would not touch this amount.

Right, now some good news.  It looks like from what I can tell that this has been a real bumper year for the summer reading challenge.  Creepy House medals are in distinctly short supply.  So, that means that a ton of children have been using libraries this Summer and that they would have brought in parents as well (five times, normally – once for joining, three times for stickers and once for the awards ceremony) and that’s great for those, like all of us, who believe that libraries have a future, no matter what is happening in Sunderland or Derbyshire.

“I wish only to emphasise that the library function will continue to be professionally managed as part of the Kirklees Council Library Service.  The Library Service will continue to supply one part time paid member of staff (as now) and that books, electronic resources, licences and equipment, hardware and software to enable access to the Library Service user database will be the responsibility of the library service.. Details of the project can be found here:  http://denbydale.theoriginweb.co.uk” Biddy Fisher.  See previous Public Libraries News post.

Changes

• Cumbria – Morton Library Link extended opening hours from 15 to 73.5 hours via working with community centre (but in smaller space).
• Derbyshire – At least one library (Woodville) under threat. Large-scale cuts expected inc. staffing, bookfund, opening hours.  Co-locations possible.
• North Lanarkshire – Cleland Library to be upgraded £150k to improve facilities for older people.
• Sunderland – Closure of nine libraries confirmed (out of 20) (Doxford Park, East Herrington, Easington Lane, Hendon, Fence Houses, Silksworth, Southwick, Monkwearmouth and Washington Green).  Some library facilities may continue in arts centres.

More >