At Tuesday's Cilip in London event we learned that no one would think of going to a library to find information or for research help.
Following Andy Burnham's announcement of the DCMS's forthcoming review of public library services, you may have missed the comments in the Bookseller's daily briefing.
Julian Rivers says: All this is delaying the overdue requirement for action to cut establishment costs radically and direct the saving into buying books....
While Commentator's point is:
"Stop messing about, give Tim Coates responsibiility for the public library sector. He will DO something, rather than have endless discussions".
These comments raise very serious issues. Henry Higgins of Hillingdon says that requests to maintain enquiry services are stirred up by dissident librarians.
The profession needs to consider whether or not libraries really do have a value:the choice is, surely, decent funding to support a range of high-quality services or the closure of libraries; the private sector can support libraries which, for a small fee, will lend nice new copies of the Booker and Orange winners plus a range of chiclit - as it did for DVDs and videos.
Is there another choice?
Ralph
Ralph
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