With public libraries everything depends on the local authorities
commitment (or not) to libraries. The best service I've come across is in
Essex where they realised several years ago that library usage was changing
from leisure to education and business. They were early in introducing
OPACs and centralised collections with efficient interloan services.
Hertfordshire was a bit slower but they too have gone a long way towards
this. Smaller county councils and metropolitan authorities seem to have the
most problems with providing efficient modern library services. They are
also the ones that most problems with finance generally, so the root of the
problem may the structure of our local government rather than a lack of
interest in providing good library services.
As to the old chestnut of the public regarding us as somehow all tweed
wearing spinsters or Phillip Larkin clones, its not my experience that this
attitude really exits to any great degree. It really is a librarians' urban
myth. Most people react positively when I tell them I'm a librarian and I
certainly never use one of those meaningless euphemisms like "information
professional".
-----Original Message-----
From: Leslie, Alison [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
Sent: 28 August 2003 10:46
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: Financial Services Topuc - chat
I don't think it's just finance departments in industry who have a short
sighted attitude to libraries, it's the whole population. Libraries need to
be "sexed up". That's not very pc in light of current events, but libraries
are the very poor relations to education and sport when it comes to funding.
In my personal experience as a public library user libraries are put with
education for funding and then put with sport. The first thing to get cut
when there are budgetary cuts - libraries of course!! Does no-one realise
libraries are part of life-long learning and also part of leisure and
recreation?
As for saying you work in a library when asked, the next comment is usually
"the weather's good / bad today". I've given up and say I work in the
information dissemination field. As for saying I'm a cataloguer when I'm
among other librarians, that's just as bad!
It's time librarians had a revolution and enlightened the masses to how
important libraries are and that not all librarians are bores dressed in
tweed wearing glasses at the ends of our noses!!
Alison Leslie
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