The debate rumbles on: should the official library agencies be quite so accepting of endless cuts? It reached flashpoint recently with reports of a conference appearance by Taskforce CEO Kathy Settle.
The most pithy was in PRIVATE EYE (issue no 1448):   
‘LIBRARIES Taskforce chief executive Kathy Settle made the mind-boggling claim at a recent local government conference that public libraries are currently flourishing: “While people focus on libraries that have closed, there aren’t that many of those – and there are hundreds that have been opened or renovated,” she insisted.  “That message doesn’t always get out.”
‘Minutes of the last Taskforce meeting, just 16 days earlier, record that Settle was present while the Taskforce discussed complaints about the lost libraries in Lancashire, Swindon, Southampton, Barnet, Bedfordshire and Darlington.  Maybe she was confused by the fact that in the minutes of a three-hour meeting, covered by more than 4,500 words, “closures” were not mentioned once, instead referred to obliquely as “ongoing changes by library authorities”.’
We asked Kathy Settle for the facts.  Here’s her reply.

Things are moving – not necessarily in the right direction for libraries – in Darlington. Crown Street library is being proposed for redevelopment or use as a Community centre and although the local MP has ‘pledged’ to save the building, she has not committed to it being a library. However a judicial review has been launched in support of the building remaining a library. Meanwhile local campaigners have made a series of videos documenting Crown Street and  about the removal of the local mobile library. See more under Library Campaigns

Things are hotting up in Darlington. The local press reports that a town centre library is up for a change to become a community centre or be sold for redevelopment.

Local campaigners have made a series of videos about their both Crown Street library and one  on the Mobile Library which came under threat from council cuts, & was then removed from service, leading to a documented decline in library usage revealed by FOI.

And finally Jenny Chapman, the local MP who was re-elected on June 8th has  threatened to chain herself to the railings to stop Darlington’s Crown Street library building being sold off – but is seemingly not doing it to save the building as a library.

Extract on public libraries from CILIP’s analysis of the various manifestos, covering all areas of publishing & libraries  are at https://www.cilip.org.uk/news/i-have-promises-keep

Labour has made a number of above-the-line policy commitments to support public libraries including:

“Libraries are vital social assets, valued by communities across the country. We will ensure libraries are preserved for future generations and updated with wi-fi and computers to meet modern needs. We will reintroduce library standards so that government can assess and guide councils in delivering the best possible service.”

CILIP has welcomed this twin emphasis on strengthening and modernising the core library service as ‘vital social assets’ and on re-introducing standards as an effective way to correct the deficiencies of the Public Libraries Act.

We also welcome the recognition of libraries as important ‘3rd spaces’ in the Women’s Equality Party Manifesto:

“The tunnel vision of our economy renders women and their contribution invisible. It fails to see the value of anything that cannot immediately be monetised; the air we breathe, the water we drink, and our green spaces. It views libraries as prime real estate for redevelopment, rather than community hubs, spaces to meet and read and learn or simply sit quietly.”

The Conservative Manifesto, on the other hand, clearly signals the continued emphasis on devolution:

“This Conservative government has devolved more power to English local authorities, closer to local people, than any previous government in over a century: across England, newly elected mayors, combined authorities, local councils and local enterprise partnerships are being empowered to improve local growth and public services. We will continue to give local government greater control over the money they raise and address concerns about the fairness of current funding distributions.”

Unfortunately, a continuation of austerity would almost certainly mean that some councils continue to explore the transfer of library services to ‘volunteer-led’ models, thereby exacerbating the existing postcode lottery of provision.

The Speak Up for Libraries alliance is urging people everywhere to make public libraries a central issue in the General Election.

The election offers us another chance to make sure central government understands that libraries are a low-cost, essential council resource for all communities. They are vital to national agendas such as ‘Digital by Default’. And they are deeply valued by local residents and the nation as a whole.

Already, many library services are threatened by, or experiencing, deep cuts, widespread closures of vital local branches – or the damaging policy of turning them over to volunteers to run.

Yet the Government continues to cut the grants given to local authorities. Local councils currently face an estimated overall funding gap of £5.8bn by 2019/20. Although libraries are a statutory service, they are often seen as a soft target for cuts. Such cuts often save little but do great damage.

If people wait another five years, their own library could go. Nationally, a postcode lottery is a reality with only some communities benefitting from the presence of a council funded and professionally run library.

Libraries remain the lynchpin of communities, offering access to reading, learning, information and leisure.

Libraries are, or should be, a trusted public space for everyone.

They play a crucial role in improving literacy standards and in combatting the digital divide.

Speak Up for Libraries believes that libraries, far from being obsolete, are more important than ever. That is why we are asking the government to make a public commitment to their survival and development.

Speak Up for Libraries is asking MPs to sign up to the following manifesto when standing for election:

  • Give libraries a long-term future, with a vision for their future development and clear standards of service.

  • Enforce the commitment in law for local authorities to provide a ‘comprehensive and efficient’ library service. This commitment should also include digital, ICT and e-book services.

  • Acknowledge that libraries are important to individuals and communities – especially in times of hardship.

  • Enforce the duty that local authorities have to properly consult with communities to design services that meet their needs and aspirations.

  • Ensure that local authorities receive sufficient funding in order to deliver properly resourced and staffed library services.

  • Recognise that properly resourced library services contribute to the health and well-being of local communities and of society as a whole and therefore complement the work of other public services and of national government agendas.

  • Download a copy of the manifesto here: SUFL – GENERAL ELECTION 2017 manifesto

As we regularly point out, libraries are a tale of two planets. Hundreds are being closed, starved or dumped on to reluctant volunteers. Yet they remain uniquely useful, popular and are fiercely defended by their communities. Their potential to develop remains unlimited.

Unless government (national and local) gets a grip, the future is grim. Meanwhile, better information is badly needed.

A new report from Carnegie UK has plenty of good news as well as bad. Veteran campaigner Tim Coates says it should have highlighted the badness – before it’s too late.

Which do you support? Take your pick. – More here.

INFORMATION WAR?

As we regularly point out, libraries are a tale of two planets. Hundreds are being closed, starved or dumped on to reluctant volunteers. Yet they remain uniquely useful, popular and are fiercely defended by their communities. Their potential to develop remains unlimited.

Unless government (national and local) gets a grip, the future is grim. Meanwhile, better information is badly needed.

The new report from Carnegie UK has plenty of good news as well as bad. Veteran campaigner Tim Coates says it should have highlighted the badness – before it’s too late.

Which do you support? Take your pick. See more here

HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE REPORT

  • Number surveyed: 10,000 (UK)
  • Period covered: 2011-16
  • 72% say libraries are essential or very important to their community.
  • Of these, only 40% say they are essential or very important to themselves personally.
  • 46% have used a library in the past year.
  • Young people (aged 15-24) are the most likely age group to use libraries in England (51%). And almost half (46%) of 25-34 year olds now use them, 2% up on 2011.
  • Over-55s are least likely to use the library.
  • Libraries in England now serve more people who are not avid readers: 37% who read only one book a year use a public library; 40% (+5 percentage points from 2011) of people who only read one book every six months are library users.
  • A sizeable percentage (21%) of people who rarely or never read books use the library.

THE BAD NEWS

  • Overall library use has dropped 4% – 50% to 46% – in the last five years.
  • Frequent library use (once a month)has dropped from 52% to 46%.

QUESTIONS

  • Are people choosing to use the library less often – or are they finding it more difficult to do so?
  • Why do so many people recognise the importance of libraries for others – but not themselves? Is it that they don’t recognise what a library offers as relevant to them? Or does the library, in fact, have little to offer them? Or don’t they know what services libraries offer? Or is it a combination of all three?
  • For instance, 48% of people said they would use the library more if they could search for and reserve books online – a service that is, in fact, already on offer.

ACTION

Since 2011, more people in England say they would use a library if a range of suggested changes and improvements were made (most popular: better information about the service; more events; providing other council services in the library).

Public libraries need to go on cultivating their ability to future-gaze, innovate and test out new ideas.

Plus – as ever – the need for better communications and branding.

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We are currently looking for a suitable venue in London for a date in July. Details shortly. Could you offer help or are you considering standing as a Trustee? Please get in touch.  We  would welcome any offers of help and are particularly keen to encourage new Trustees to join us to strengthen and develop what we can achieve as a charity. 

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