Dorset Council wins motion close 9 public libraries

A Motion to save Dorset libraries defeated.

Libraries earmarked for closure
Burton Bradstock
Chickerell
Colehill
Corfe Castle
Portland Underhill
Puddletown
Stalbridge Wool.

The Guardian article on decline library usage figures

Library usage falls as branches close so reports the guardian.

In the article, Alan Gibbon says:-

"The great scandal is that opening hours are being slashed to ribbons,"

Possible library job losses In Warwickshire

The BBC website reports Warwickshire libraries could face 120 job cuts. The report says:-

Library staff in Warwickshire have been told the council is looking to make 50 full-time posts redundant.

That could result in up to 120 of them losing their jobs as many people work part-time.

More bad news.

Women’s Institute to campaign for libraries via Cilip

The Women’s Institute to campaign for libraries. Anyhow, thats a pretty big organisation to be supporting CILIP campaign against public library closures.

The decline of the British public library.........

Its pretty sad to see that our elected representative rarely listening to their constituency (but hardly surprising). Therefore, it was sad to read that the good work that Friends of Gloucestershire Libraries. Seems that the 42% cut in the Library budget is been steamrollered through. The response to these closures by some (tory) councillors beggers belief when they were confronted by the effect they would have on a rural community to a :-

“I have read with interest. I do not intend to reply in detail”

Hopefully there maybe some way around this, but it seems not.

By the way, I would like to add to Gary Green's post, when he says the following:-

I’m.....upset about Gloucestershire – I have seen the campaign grow since the first day Johanna Anderson (Friends of Gloucestershire Libraries) highlighted the plans that had been announced on the This Is Gloucestershire site (August 2010, I think) and I have seen the many of the ups and downs. In fact, seeing what was going on in Gloucestershire played an important part in my joining Voices For The Library.

I know this is no consolation for Friends of Gloucestershire Libraries campaigners and all involved, but I have great admiration for all they have tried to do. They deserved so much better than this result.

Jo and the rest have done a fantastic job in attempting to stop the closures. Its cold comfort none the less.

Two articles dealing with the impact of UK library closures

The IWR has an article entitled Evolution Yes, Closures No. The article though is rather shallow when it says:-

Technology has enabled the whole search and acquisition process to become more hassle-free and less time-consuming for customers and what’s more, the migration of content to e-book format means that libraries can now produce substantial revenues without having to stock physical books.

I think the author would find libraries have e-content and have had e-content for quite a while.

The second article is from the False Economy blog entitled “Too precious to destroy” – Philip Pullman stands up for public libraries [found via Neil Ford on twitter]. In this more emotive. Pullman says in the article:-

Aside from denigrating the professionalism of librarians, Philip wonders where the volunteers will come from.

“The fact is that if there’s anyone who has the time and the energy to work for nothing in a good cause, they are already working for one....This is the Big Society, you see. It must be big, to contain so many volunteers.”

And will richer and poorer communities be equal in the race for funds? Of course not. The cuts to public libraries reflect the growing power of the “greedy ghost of market fundamentalism”:

“The greedy ghost understands profit all right. But that’s all he understands... He doesn’t understand libraries at all, for instance. That branch – how much money did it make last year? Why aren’t you charging higher fines? Why don’t you charge for library cards?”

Both worth a read if you have time.

Bookseller has launched a website against public library closures

Bookseller the British magazine reporting news on the publishing industry, has started a facebook page against closures entitled Fight For Libraries, campaign from The Bookseller. They also have a twitter address to.
The article says:-

The Facebook site hosts a manifesto and a set of demands, with The Bookseller supporting the calls for a national public enquiry into the library service, demanding a halt to the unfair and disproportionate targeting of libraries for cuts, and calling for the 1964 Libraries Act to be observed in letter and spirit. It also has a poll asking people to commit to supporting libraries.

"Libraries are under threat right now. A library lost today will not be re-opened tomorrow - the book trade has to take a stand," added Denny. "Please use the site to see what is going on and update it with developments in your own area. We'd like you to engage with our Facebook page, let us know who you are, give us your views and post useful links. Our campaign can offer a focal point for all interested parties and thereby form a stronger voice together."

Good to see the publishing industry getting behind librarians against library closures.

Prospero books, Crouch end closes

I was in Crouch End on Thursday and saw that Prospero Books had closed. It is a real shame, as it was a really small book shop, its such a gutter. I hate book shops closing.

Cornwall library cuts agreed

As mentioned previously, Cornwall has been under increasing pressure to make budget cuts. It seems that libraries will have a 23% cuts. Lanson Boy has a good discussion about the debate here.

Librarians as activist

I've just been read Johanna Bo Anderson's blog post entitled Librarians Gagged. In the piece she discusses how in Gloucester she has started a website entitled Friends of Gloucestershire Libraries so as to stop a 43% cut in Library funding and closure of possibly up to 11 libraries.

Jo then write:-

Friends of Gloucestershire Libraries took part in a protest rally today with hundreds of other people protesting against brutal public sector cuts. A young lady who I had never met before approached me and said “My dad says your campaign website is great and everything but he says that maybe you should not say on it that you are a librarian.“ She is the third person to have individually advised me to stop telling the press that I am a librarian as it may seem as if I am running this group in self-interest. Well let me tell you something I AM A LIBRARIAN AND I AM PROUD, proud to be speaking up for libraries, library users and public library staff. In all three incidences I heard myself saying apologetically “But I am an academic librarian not a public librarian. If public libraries die, I still have my job“

What? So do we sit idly by and keep quite so a few of us MAY keep our jobs? Or do we organise ourselves in to a community of 'library activist' and show we think are jobs are still relevant to society? Jo and others are willing to use the own time, resources and attention to the cause. Jo is even a founding member of the Voices for the Library.

We need people like Jo and Lauren Smith to underline that many people still use public libraries. Once there closed there never coming back.

Article on Cornish libraries

Following on from a previous post, a local in the area discusses what could happen in the area. Interestingly it seems all the talks are behind closed doors of the councillors. Oh, the elights of democracy?

The (possible) closure of Cornish Libraries

I am presently in cornwall visiting family for the week, and it was with some sadness I read about the closures of a majority of cornish libraries here. One's such as the photo above could be closing. In the article talks about the possible closure of 23 t0 32 of cornwall libraries closing. My aunt, who lives in Mylor, near Falmouth has heard there maybe a closure of 20 in the local press. This is pretty worrying for a count that is large but sparsely populated. As yet, nothing has happened. I hope it doesn't but I will keep you informed.

Great article on Public libraries from the States

(Found via here). The go-to-hellman blog has a very insightful post entitled Are Public Libraries in a Death Spiral?. In the post he makes two very salient points when he writes:-

A favorite budget-cutting tactic of public library directors seems to be curtailment of opening hours ......To me, this seems like the worst possible thing for a public library to do. ........Public library funding comes from the public, and the best way to convince the public that their library deserves more funding is to get the public inside the library doors.

Public Broadcasting is a good example for public libraries (and a competitor for donor support). Does public radio turn off their transmitter when they need money? No, they put on specially good programming and have pledge drives. My local library puts donor names on bricks; I'd like to see libraries put donor names on opening hours.

Tough economic times are exactly when public libraries are needed the most. The assistance that libraries offer to people looking for work, training for new occupations, learning to read, or finding social networks makes public libraries valuable parts of their communities, but that doesn't happen when the doors are locked.

Would Britain be willing to pledge money to its libraries to increase hours? I doubt it. The Lib/con pact are looking at cuts, and what services we do provide will be reduced (in my mind). So, last one that leaves the library, please turn off the light.

Library humour falls flat

I was looking at my twitter feeds last night when this one came up from Michael Stephens tweet saying :-

Not pleased at all with Jay Leno's remark about library cuts in LA

This morning I found this was his comment (found via here):-

"People here in Los Angeles are upset that the mayor's proposed plan to cut the budget of libraries. This could affect as many as nine people."

The great great thing about Leno's humour is its of a generation. Not this generation.