Has there been an actual announcement of a review, or is
it speculation that this is something he may announce at the PLAC? Even if he
does, so what? where is the money, the ability, and he will move on before it is
even starts.
But with the internet in 60% of homes or otherwise
accessible at work or in internet cafe is it any wonder that fewer people are
using public libraries to find information? This is a no brainer and should
have been in the minds of the managers and so called leaders of the
public libraries for years and years, and so should have been
prepared and have their strategic plans in place to offer a service in parallel
to or different to or complimentary and added value to the personal use of the
internet. It has been a factor for more than 10 years now and the PN is woefully
out of date. , likewise MLA in what ever manifestation, should have been
producing plans for the the changes required long before Roy joined
up.
Do libraries have a value, I would say so, but we do have
to make them places of destination and be fit for purpose for today's population
and not dreams of times past.
The SCL are apparently engaging with the BL and planning
an advocacy plan. Will this solve the problems, one hopes so, but it has been
tried before.
I take you all back to Charlie Leadbeaters warning and
proposal on what we should be doing! We ignored it at our
peril.
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:
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----- Original Message -----
Sent: Friday, September 12, 2008 1:07
PM
Subject: Tim for Minister of
Morons?
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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