« Libraries in London: MLA London : Prize on offer | Main | Politics and public libraries »
May 6, 2006
Budget time in Bloggington
The Italians invaded Britain 2000 years ago bringing Pizza, Spaghetti and Balsamic Vinegar.
The place they landed was Bloggington on Sea and it is for this reason that the city of Bloggington has a tremendous sense of history and very good Italian restaurants.
Ethelred Grimsdyke, ancestor of the current council accountant gave his name to Grimsdyke hill from which he saw the invasion fleet land and it is from Grimsdyke tower that young Mr Grimsdyke keeps a tenacious eye on the city's fine public library service
Each year, on the first Monday of September Mrs Sideloader, the captain of the crew of the Carnegie library on the dockside, climbs Grimsdyke hill for the first day of "boojits". "Boojits" is the ancient religous ceremony in which council pass pieces of paper with figures on from desk to desk day after day. Normally, during the ceremony of "boojits" no other productive work takes place. It generally lasts between September and the following April but has been known to go on longer
Mr Grimsdyke, however, has a very practical approach. He follows the same routine each year
The priorities for using available funds are
First priority: Work out if we have enough libraries: providing a library service for everyone in the city is the first priority. Buildings are better than mobiles; but mobiles will be used if there is no available and suitable premises.
Second priority : For each library the aim is to have a crew that can open every day until 10pm. Each year we work towards that object and we are well advanced to it.
Third priority :There has to be sufficient book fund to keep every category of stock in every library up to date and relevant.
Fourth priority: The council has a rolling programme of building redecoration and equipment renovation.
Mr Grimsdyke does listen to special pleading for other activities, but it is the pursuit of maximum quality of service for minimum cost against these 4 priorities that occupies his planning.
He runs his office with a telescope and a slide rule, for reasons that will explained on another day
Posted by Perkins at May 6, 2006 8:59 AM