 |
 |
PRIVATE EYE Issue No. 1396 | Library News (p.35) LIBRARIES minister Ed Vaizey told a recent meeting of the Leadership for Libraries Taskforce that securing £7.4m in spring's budget to ensure that every public library has Wi-Fi was a "notable achievement". Last year's independent report on the sector noted that only 48 percent of libraries offer a way for visitors to get online using their own gadgets, rather than using library computers. But will £7.4m even come close to covering the costs? Last year, free public Wi-Fi was installed in 1,000 public buildings around the UK, using £30m from the government's £150m Super-Connected Cities programme, as Vaizey should know, since he announced the scheme. The scale of the task with small branch libraries is larger. At a meeting of the all-party parliamentary group on libraries earlier this year, independent report panel chair William Sieghart noted: "It is shocking that over 1,000 libraries don't have Wi-Fi." Of course, he went on to say, "many of these are libraries that have been slated for closure." Four libraries closed for good in the London borough of Harrow last month, and 16 new planned closures were announced in Fife. A final decision on closing seven libraries in Bristol is due in August. That's certainly one way to make that £7.4m stretch to cover whatever public libraries remain. Frances Hendrix Martin House Farm, Hilltop Lane, Whittle le Woods, Chorley, Lancs, PR6 7QR Tel: 01257 274 833. Mobile: 0777 55 888 03