Yes, I've been puzzling over the rather sketchy spreadsheet that I
downloaded from the DCMS website for the last hour. The number of
respondents seems very low at only 6097 this year, compared to 14K in 2009
and c 25K in previous years. 

Also numbers for the under 65s seem to be holding up quite well, perhaps the
over 65s are becoming lazy and having their books sent to them? 

I note that in previous years respondents were asked if they had visited
"any kind of library e.g. a mobile library" but not this year for some
reason.

There is also a footnote stating that anyone using the library for  work or
study has been excluded ...

Most surprising of all is the revelation that it's women who have stopped
using the library. Men still make fewer visits  than women but in the same
numbers as in previous years.

Maybe I have the wrong figures?

Mick

Mick Fortune       
m. +44 (0)7786 625544 

Can you afford NOT to attend this year's RFID conference?

-----Original Message-----
From: lis-pub-libs: UK Public Libraries [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
On Behalf Of Brown, Alan
Sent: 25 August 2010 12:19
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: FW: Libraries making the news again!

Sadly on the radio 4 bit I listened to no-one argued against the rather
stark figure that library visitors had dropped 25%. This is nearly true when
you look at the drop in respondents to the survey of people saying that they
are regular users of the library. But it is nowhere near true if you look at
visitor counts in libraries (certainly does not match up with our figures).
Nationally I think only the 2009 actuals are available and the drop is from
342,168,000 2005/06 to 324,991,000
2008/09 a drop of 5%. Or put in another light we are still getting over
5 visits for every single member of the UK population.

Alan

--
Alan Brown
Library Systems Liaison Officer
Resource Services
Bury Libraries
Textile Hall
Manchester Rd
Bury
BL9 0DG
Tel 0161 253 5877
http://www.bury.gov.uk/libraries
http://library.bury.gov.uk



________________________________

From: Philip Wark [mailto:[log in to unmask]] 
Sent: 24 August 2010 16:36
Subject: Re: Libraries making the news again!



I have to say I found the item on BBC One TV this morning very
disappointing.  The BBC introduced the item with a very negative slant.
"The number of people visiting their local library in the last year has
dropped to 50% of the population" - which other public service has 50%
of the population making use of its services?  This is a footfall which
many services, both public and private, would die for.  The person from
the Ideas Store unfortunately didn't argue the case for libraries very
well - there was nothing about libraries and literacy, children's
reading challenge during the summer to support the reading gap left by
school holidays,  libraries and the provision of accurate and current
information, libraries changing people's lives through exposure to new
ideas etc etc.

 

Good to have this level of exposure though!

 

Philip Wark

Principal Librarian

Midlothian Council - Education and Children's Services

 

Library HQ

2 Clerk Street

Loanhead 

Midlothian EH20 9DR

 

tel: 0131 271 3971

fax: 0131 440 4635

[log in to unmask]

 

From: lis-pub-libs: UK Public Libraries
[mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Frances Hendrix
Sent: 24 August 2010 16:19
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Libraries making the news again!

 

Libraries, threatened closures and the results of the recent DCMS Taking
Part survey were discussed on BBC ONE TV Breakfast, Radio 4 Today and
Radio 5 this morning. Furthermore some local BBC radio programmes have
later featured libraries.

 

.

Frances Hendrix
Martin House Farm, Hilltop Lane, Whittle le Woods, Chorley, Lancs PR6
7QR, UK
tel: 01257 274 833.  fax: 01257 266 488
email: [log in to unmask]

 

Click here <https://www.mailcontrol.com/sr/wQw0zmjPoHdJTZGyOCrrhg==>  to
report this email as spam.

________________________________

The information contained in this message may be confidential or legally
privileged and is intended for the addressee only.

If you have received this message in error or there are any problems
please
notify the originator immediately.

If you are not the intended recipient you should not use, disclose,
distribute, copy, print, or rely on this e-mail.

All communication sent to or from Midlothian Council may be subject 
to recording and/or monitoring in accordance with relevant legislation.

________________________________



This message has been scanned for malware by Websense. www.websense.com
<http://www.websense.com/> 

-----------------------------------------------------------------
Why not visit our website www.bury.gov.uk
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Incoming and outgoing e-mail messages are routinely monitored for compliance
with our information security policy.
The information contained in this e-mail and any files transmitted
with it is for the intended recipient(s) alone. It may contain
confidential information that is exempt from the disclosure under
English law and may also be covered by legal,professional or other
privilege.
If you are not the intended recipient, you must not copy, distribute or take
any
action in reliance on it. 
If you have received this e-mail in error, please notify us immediately by
using 
the reply facility on your e-mail system.
If this message is being transmitted over the Internet, be aware that it may
be 
intercepted by third parties.
As a public body, the Council may be required to disclose this e-mail or any

response to it under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 unless the
information
in it is covered by one of the exemptions in the Act.  
Electronic service accepted only at [log in to unmask] and on fax
number 
0161 253 5119 .
*************************************************************