I agree with your comments David.
The governments publicity campaign must be working if we're thinking and talking ourselves out of our own jobs.

I don't recall the bankers adopting the same strategy.
Look at the recent bonuses paid out of our money.

-----Original Message-----
From: Library and Information Professionals [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of David McMenemy
Sent: 08 February 2011 14:36
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: Library Campaigns. What next?

Some of the people who live less than 5 miles away from their central
library also need their small library too.  The tacit assumption seems to be
that it's perfectly acceptable for people to travel such distances when they
may be elderly/infirm, disabled, or unemployed and struggling to afford the
ridiculous costs masquerading as bus fares in this day and age.  It's a
selfish assumption.

-----Original Message-----
From: Library and Information Professionals
[mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Bridget Knutson
Sent: 08 February 2011 14:23
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: Library Campaigns. What next?

I agree, if there is a state of the art library less than 5 miles away, it
is not feasible to expect to keep all the little local branches, nice, but
not feasible. However, if the only library is more than 8 miles away, and
not a state of the art, nor likely to be, there is a good argument for
keeping a small busy branch library open. We did have more than normal on
our SOL day, but they do all use the library at other times, whether it is
for books, DVDs, or computer use. You won't get a fantastic state of the art
library in every town centre, not in rural counties, it might be possible in
cities, but we need our small busy library.

Bridget Knutson
LRC Manager
Kings of Wessex School



----- Original Message ----
From: Michael Charlton <[log in to unmask]>
To: [log in to unmask]
Sent: Tue, 8 February, 2011 12:46:54
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/

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-----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



      

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