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I did read your response, it does have contempt for anything that exists outside the marketplace. Blaming councils for this is disingenuous. In this context economies being made means circa 10% of the library network closing in just this financial year. This is merely the beginning. To claim for a second on a professional mailing list that this won't harm services is simply absurd. Anyway, rather than clog up the list with this, I'll shut up now. The library campaigners are making the points far more eloquently. -----Original Message----- From: Library and Information Professionals [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Rowley, Margaret (Knowledge Management) Sent: 08 February 2011 15:27 To: [log in to unmask] Subject: Re: Library Campaigns. What next? I don't think you read my response. The Government does not have contempt for the publicly funded library. It is up to local councils where they target the cuts, and economies can be made without harming services. Margaret -----Original Message----- From: Library and Information Professionals [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of David McMenemy Sent: 08 February 2011 15:04 To: [log in to unmask] Subject: Re: Library Campaigns. What next? And they say we're all one big profession! You can have the debate on the terms of a government that has contempt for the publically funded library if you like. Incidentally I can't help but notice the geographical locations of some of the folk towing the ConDem line. -----Original Message----- From: Library and Information Professionals [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Rowley, Margaret (Knowledge Management) Sent: 08 February 2011 14:59 To: [log in to unmask] Subject: Re: Library Campaigns. What next? In the case of the public library services it is the local choice. Local councils choose how much money to spend on libraries, rubbish disposal, potholes or whatever within their overall budget. Some councils are supporting libraries more than others. Admittedly there is less money to go round now but we couldn't continue increasing the national debt at such a high rate so some savings have to be made. In Worcestershire some libraries are sharing premises with other local government services thus making savings while increasing the footfall in libraries. It is possible to make savings and improve services. Margaret Rowley Head of Knowledge Management Worcestershire Health Libraries -----Original Message----- From: Library and Information Professionals [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of David McMenemy Sent: 08 February 2011 14:10 To: [log in to unmask] Subject: Re: Library Campaigns. What next? No, the country, or rather the current government is CHOOSING to not afford fantastic facilities on every doorstep. For a government so keen on CHOICE, it's absurd to let them off the hook for their choice to shaft the public sector and then blame it on councils. I'm sure I can't be alone in finding some of the comment on this thread utterly depressing and reflective of why we're in the position we're in. -----Original Message----- From: Library and Information Professionals [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Michael Charlton Sent: 08 February 2011 12:47 To: [log in to unmask] Subject: Re: Library Campaigns. What next? I think we also have to ask exactly how popular are the local branches? Yes it's great to have a library round the corner, but how many people are actually using that library. I think Kevin makes a very serious point in respect to Cambridge. People seemed willing - in certain areas - to turn up to save the local library from closure; but how many of these same people use THAT library on a regular basis? We can't let sentiment for the good old days of a library at the end of the street cloud the issues. If people are offered a state of the art, multi-functional library 10 minutes on the bus or a local library with a poor collection and a couple of out of date computers at the bottom of the road, which will they choose? The country can't afford to have fantastic facilities on every doorstep, but if certain tough decisions are made, it can afford fantastic public library provision from a central library in every town centre. We won't get to that point if we continue to pile resources into local libraries which people only go to when a campaign is organised to stop it closing. Kind regards, Michael Charlton After hours: +44 (0) 1788 560 824 Fax: +44 (0) 1788 568 266 Skype: mildwaters.consulting Walton House 25 Bilton Road Rugby Warwickshire United Kingdom CV22 7AG Email: [log in to unmask] Web: http://www.mildwatersconsulting.com/ -------------------------------------------------------------------------- This e-mail, and any attachment, contains information which is confidential and may be legally privileged. If you are not the person intended to receive it or a copy of it please notify the sender by reply e-mail as soon as possible. In these circumstances please delete the e-mail on your system and do not copy or disclose its contents or take any action in reliance upon it. Internet communications are not secure and therefore Mildwaters Consulting LLP does not accept legal responsibility for the contents of this message as it has been transmitted over a public network. If you suspect the message may have been intercepted or amended, please call the sender. Please note that e-mails sent by or to any person through our IT systems may be seen by other members of the consultancy. Mildwaters Consulting LLP is regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority under number 520348. -----Original Message----- From: Library and Information Professionals [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Kevin Symonds Sent: 08 February 2011 12:36 To: [log in to unmask] Subject: Re: Library Campaigns. What next? Bridget >I was really pleased to see the number that came in to support it - and take out books!< And? People use libraries, people love libraries, libraries are brilliant. We all know that. Having people sitting round and enjoying themselves, taking out more books or having photos taken to show off the love people have for libraries is great. But it's a little bit in the local paper, even as a part of a bigger day what concrete impact does it actually have? Cuts are going to have to be made in council budgets, surely the important thing is to get the general public to steer their councils towards cutting other things instead of libraries or look for ways of raising money to keep libraries going. Just because something is worthy, used and popular does not suddenly make councils and government go 'oh well that's different, we must stop the cuts immediately, little Tommy loves Asterix books so we can't close down his local library branch'. Alternatives need to be given, finances need to be sorted out. I can't imagine it's an emotive issue, it's a simple financial decision and so needs to be countered in the same way. Somewhere like Cambridge where they might want to close down some of the smaller branch libraries you can see what they are thinking. Lovely new central library, lots of money spent on it (£7.5 million), great resources, free wireless, RFID tagged books, café, local history collection, BFI collection, longer opening hours (even open on a Sunday!) etc. Do you really need 2 other libraries within 2 miles when the Central Library has the all those facilities? Plus the great transport links, cycle parking, other shops (being in the middle of a shopping centre and round the corner from the very centre of Cambridge) and everything else that people come into town for anyway. There needs to be good solid reasons why these Libraries should remain. And getting normal people to tell the people that make the decision is surely one step in the right direction. Problem is do they love libraries more than having their rubbish collected, or street lights or care homes etc? I like the way they seem to deal with these issues in America, separate local tax paid to directly support libraries. Kevin