Private Eye
Issue No. 1371 (p.27)
Library News | APPG report on school libraries

THE all-party parliamentary on libraries' report on school libraries makes gloomy reading, calling for an urgent count of school libraries and librarians, since it's impossible to tell how many have been cut in recent years.  Clue:  it's a lot.

The report also notes that (as reported in Eye 1237, back in 2009) many schools library services, which provide a rotating stock of books and other materials to schools within an area, are also facing the possibility of closure now that schools have to pay to use them.  "When faced with tough budget decisions some schools are choosing to no longer use them, so children are missing out," says the report, adding that one major survey found one in five schools services was facing the possibility of closure.

In fact, that survey was done in 2012 and many of the services then under threat are now long gone, with yet more now facing closure.  This spring, schools in North Yorkshire were given notice that their schools' library service will close in 2015 because not enough schools have subscribed.  Only a third of schools had bought in this year.

Wrexham has announced plans to pull out of the North East Wales schools library service, leaving all its own schools without access to the service, which loans CDs, DVDs and art prints to schools as well as books.  The move also risks the viability of the shared service for neighbouring areas.

Frances Hendrix

Martin House Farm, Hilltop Lane, Whittle le Woods, Chorley, Lancs, PR6 7QR

Tel:  01257 274 833.   Mobile: 0777 55 888 03