LINCS LIBRARY RESCUE COULD SAVE LIBRARIES NATIONWIDE
In two minutes flat this morning (17 July) a High Court judge brought
a county's library destruction plans to a screeching halt.
And, potentially, the court victory will stop many other such drastic
plans in their tracks.
The Save Lincolnshire Libraries campaign (in the person of local
resident Simon Draper) had called a judicial review of Lincolnshire
County Council's widely-hated decision to close an astonishing 29 of
its 44 libraries. That would leave just 15 attempting to provide the
full service required by law - and 29 dumped on to reluctant local
volunteers to run if they could.
Mr Justice Collins today pronounced the decision 'flawed' on two
grounds: (1) poor consultation and (2) failure to 'properly deal with'
an alternative plan [in this case, a bid by an experienced charitable
body (Greenwich Leisure Ltd) to run the service, making all the budget
cuts required but still saving all 44 libraries and more than 160
jobs].
"These two tactics are among the most dangerous being employed by
councils against common sense and common humanity," said The Library
Campaign (TLC), the national charity that supports library users.
The Library Campaign chair Laura Swaffield said: "If the judicial
review outlaws these two nasty tricks, suddenly there's hope for
threatened library services everywhere.
"Time and again, The Library Campaign hears of councils carrying out
skewed consultations designed to get the answer the council wants -
and ignoring all opposition.
"Time and again, The Library Campaign hears of councils that are
pig-headedly determined to wreck their library services - refusing any
other ways to make savings.
"It's theoretically possible that Lincs CC will appeal - but the judge
made it clear that it would 'have difficulty's doing so. So - fingers
crossed.
"Meanwhile, TLC is celebrating alongside Save Lincs Libraries. We are
proud to have supported them."
Laura added: "As so often, it is library users who have stood up to
defend this vital public service. Not the professional bodies - and
certainly not the libraries minister.
"Ed Vaizey's policy basically seems to be sabotage - in particular,
encouraging the growth of volunteer libraries at the expense of a
proper service. The idea has never been researched. Now, we hope, it
will be impossible to enforce this whole crazy idea against the wishes
of communities."
CONTACT: Laura Swaffield, 07914 491145
www.librarycampaign.com
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