">My nearest public library (But of course I was lucky has we had a good library at the Grammer School), is still in the same town, now a concerted Chapel, but there are cars at every house now, and people travel longer distances for shopping etc, and do train journeys, and go to huge supermarkets. They use DVDs watch a multitude of TV porgrammes, use their PC for all sorts of reasons, so times have changed form my box of books! "
Yes times are changing and there are always other things for people to do with their time, but you may be interested to know that here in Wales the public library statistics are GOING UP, see quotes below from a recent press release using the CIPFA statistics. This increase is due to a number of things, including the hard work of librarians in Wales.
"In 2008/09 there were 13.96 million visits to Welsh libraries, an increase of 3.7% on the previous year. This compares with a year-on-year decrease in England of 1.4%, a decrease of 4.1% in Northern Ireland and an increase of only 0.4% in Scotland."
"The number of book issues by Welsh public libraries went up by 6.8% to 14.45 million compared to an increase of 0.6% in England, 1.7% in Scotland and 3.6% in Northern Ireland."
Other figures showed:
Wales is the only country to show an increase in the number of visits per 1,000 of the population: 3.2%.
Wales is also the only country to show an increase in the number of active borrowers, up by 1.1%, compared with drops in all other three countries.
So the Welsh still love their books!
Alyson
******************
Alyson Tyler
Cynghorydd Datblygu Llyfrgelloedd
CyMAL: Amgueddfeydd Archifau a Llyfrgelloedd Cymru, Llywodraeth Cynulliad Cymru
Libraries Development Adviser
CyMAL Museums Archives and Libraries Wales, Welsh Assembly Government
Ffôn 0300 062 2103 Phone
Llywodraeth Cynulliad Cymru/ Welsh Assembly Government, Rhodfa Padarn, Llanbadarn Fawr, Aberystwyth, Ceredigion, SY23 3UR
Hapus i gyfathrebu'n Saesneg neu yn y Gymraeg/Happy to communicate in English or Welsh
www.cymru.gov.uk/cymal www.wales.gov.uk/cymal
-----Original Message-----
From: Frances Hendrix [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
Sent: 09 September 2010 19:43
Subject: Re: Welcome back the commercial circulating library?
When I grew up in Our Welsh village we waited for our weekly box of books, and went through them like savages. Once a week to the local Institute. We never had a library in our village, and still to this day they are only in the larger towns, but not huge distances, but we took the bus.
The Welsh loved its books in those days, and reading was a favorite pastime along with radio, especially in the Winter. Books were not door sale in many places and there was nothing like a supermarket.
My nearest public library (But of course I was lucky has we had a good library at the Grammer School), is still in the same town, now a concerted Chapel, but there are cars at every house now, and people travel longer distances for shopping etc, and do train journeys, and go to huge supermarkets. They use DVDs watch a multitude of TV porgrammes, use their PC for all sorts of reasons, so times have changed form my box of books!
f
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]
----- Original Message -----
From: "Ken Chad" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Thursday, September 09, 2010 2:47 PM
Subject: Welcome back the commercial circulating library?
> Commercial 'circulating libraries' were a major feature of 18th
> century culture and lasted a long time. The London Library might be
> considered as continuing the tradition. The 'library' in my High
> Street in the 1960s was a commercial circulating library until the
> public library put it out of business.
>
>
>
> The Mirror today reports (
> <http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/top-stories/2010/09/09/we-re-boys-from-t
> he-boo
> k-stuff-115875-22547960/>
> http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/top-stories/2010/09/09/we-re-boys-from-th
> e-book -stuff-115875-22547960/ ) on what I think might be considered a
> 21st century take on a very old idea. Taking inspiration from the
> Love Film service a couple of college students have set up a text
> book rental service ( <http://www.acadreamia.co.uk/>
> http://www.acadreamia.co.uk/ ) to fill a gap in conventional library
> provision.... ('he knew it wasn't worth going to the university
> library'). I found the following comments in the article revealing....
>
> ' ...everyone knows that if you want to do well in your degree it
> makes a massive difference to have the right books for as long as you
> need them. I wanted to do the best I could but couldn't see how I was
> going to do that without the books.'
>
> "It just seemed such an obvious idea we couldn't believe someone else
> in the UK hadn't done it."
>
> Whilst Acadreamia is clearly tackling a very specific need of students
> I think it suggests some broader implications. They aim to broaden to
> service out to schools. Maybe entrepreneurs will find a way to fill
> gaps in public library provision? If we take an inclusive view of what
> we think of a 'libraries' we see that this is a time of boom not bust.
> It's an increasingly competitive world.....
>
> Ken
>
> Tel +44 (0)7788 727 845. Email: <mailto:[log in to unmask]>
> [log in to unmask] <http://www.kenchadconsulting.com/>
> www.kenchadconsulting.com
>
> Skype: kenchadconsulting Twitter: @KenChad
>
> Check out the Higher Education Library Technology' website (wiki)
> <http://lglibtech.wikispaces.com/> http://helibtech.com/
>
>
>
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