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June 27, 2006
Marketing Libraries
Mr Grimsdyke was laughing on the beach tonight, quietly sipping his milkshake as the sun moved into the evening quarter over Bloggington bay.
"I've just seen another report about marketing libraries," he said. "Focus groups report that people find libraries have disappointing collections of books, grumpy staff, aren't open when they are needed and the buildings are falling down."
"Don't talk to yourself," Mrs Sideloader had come to see what all the spluttering was about.
"These are the reasons people are using libraries less than they used to. Do you know what they report said they should do to put it right?" he asked her
"Mind that crab, you silly old fool," she answered him.
"Put up posters for the libraries in bus shelters," he said. "Mind," he added, "the whole thing was written in Welsh, so there's no risk of anyone doing anything."
"I don't know what you are talking about," said Mrs Sideloader. There was tender affection in the way she spoke to him. "Too much sunshine, today, then"
Posted by Tim Coates at June 27, 2006 7:22 PM
Comments
A report called "A marketing strategy for Welsh Libraries" was published today by the Welsh Assembly and Cymal, the Welsh regional office of 'Delay' the Department of Libraries and Archives. Taken from focus groups, it didn't have a figure in it.
No one suggested that the way to address the problems raised might be to improve the stocks of books, lengthen the opening hours and ask the staff to be friendly.
Of course it didn't mention that nearly one third of the money the Welsh spend on their library service is taken up with completely wasted cataloguing, book selection, labelling, management etc. The Welsh politicians don't appear to want to be told about that. A few posters will do the job.
Posted by: Tim at June 27, 2006 7:39 PM
New readers on the site- welcome- it might help to explain that the public library service in Bloggington on Sea is not only the best in England but is also run in a unique way. Each library is independent and part of its own local community. There is no council management. The chief librarian of each library is responsible to that local community for the quality of the service they receive
Mr Grimsdyke who created this arrangement many years ago presides over the whole service from his watch tower on Grimsdyke hill. He holds the purse strings, hands out the money and makes deals on behalf of the libraries with the various suppliers. Nevertheless it is each library who decides how to use that money to provide service to their local people.
At the same time the libraries are always in contact with each other so they can share their expertise, their book collections and their resources, if they wish
Mrs Sideloader is the head of the Carnegie library on the dockside at Bloggington on Sea. Many a sailor has regained his land legs in here. Perkins is the library cat: the sailors call him Diesel, but that is a very naval joke.
There is often talk about the nature of the relationship between Mrs Sideloader and Mr Grimsdyke, and there is good reason for that.
Posted by: Tim at June 27, 2006 8:22 PM
Perkins, the library cat sounds the purrrrfect moggy. I think he has a cousin who resides in the Perkins Diesel factory in Peterborough? His cousin's name is Oilyrag.
Shhhhh, don't breathe a word to Perkins, he may not know of Oilyrag's existence. Better not create a scandal.
Posted by: Margo Harker at June 29, 2006 12:39 PM