A digest of today’s news items, reproduced here, with kind permission from Shirley Burnham who collated it. For up to date libraries news follow @ShirleyBurnham on Twitter.
Portsmouth News : 25th March
Author: Why libraries are vital for communities
We need public libraries and we need librarians.
http://www.portsmouth.co.uk/
My Record Journal : 24th March
Libraries pay a premium for e-books, if they can get them
http://www.myrecordjournal.
Bournemouth Echo : 25th March
Libraries will NOT be axed – but they do have to make £1.7m by 2020
A renewed pledge has been made that no Bournemouth libraries will face the axe – but they will have to make cuts and generate income worth of £1.7million. Following a wide-ranging review of the town’s library service, councillors are pledging no closures, no reduction in hours and no adverse impact on the home library service.
http://www.bournemouthecho.co.
Shirley has put a Libraries comment on this
THE BOOKSELLER : 22nd March
Bookshop browsing vital for publishing, research finds
http://thebookseller.com/news/
Peterborough Today : 25th March
Cabinet meeting: City Council agree library cuts
At the Town Hall meeting of the council’s cabinet this morning, a raft of measures were introduced to save £200,000 from the library service, including cutting hours, a reduction in £18,000 from the management budget and a reduction of £50,000 from the book budget.
http://www.peterboroughtoday.
Barnet & Whetstone Press : 25th March
New library plan for Finchley
If planning permission is granted, the firm has agreed to create an 800m² library over two floors and lease it to the council. A council spokeswoman said Church End Library would remain open until the new building opened, which could be as soon as 2015, before being sold off.
http://www.barnet-today.co.uk/
South Wales Argus : 25th March
Letter | Halt closure of library
http://www.southwalesargus.co.