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July 21, 2006
Philip Kerridge
I am deeply indebted to Philip Kerridge for his letter in The Bookseller today, which I copied here. I believe he has also written at length in an article to be published elsewhere.
I am certainly willing to enter into meaningful discussion but only if I believe there is likely to be a positive outcome as I have described on this site before. We are not engaged in a debate about public libraries, we are in an emergency.
20 July 2006 : The Bookseller
Hard times for rural libraries
Public librarians know our buildings are in disrepair, they close for too long and issues are in decline. Despite a minister, a Museums Libraries & Archives Council (MLA), public library standards, and a framework for the future there's little change in these fundamentals.
This year the fabric of public libraries has become a little more tattered with announcements that 100 libraries may close. As a manager of Cornwall's libraries it's alarming but no surprise that Devon and Dorset lead this trend. Small rural counties are the Torquay Utd of the library spending league. In 20004/05 Devon spent £12.24 per head compared to London authorities spending £25.
In Cornwall we made savings of £250,000 this year. We didn't close libraries or cut book funds but avoiding this will be difficult if the next two years bring similar reductions in government grant settlements. Since Cornwall isn't unique in this respect, hundreds more rural library closures are likely before the decade is out.
For once the MLA lacks a strategy. Like Rooney in the Portugal penalty shoot out, when it really counts there they are sitting on the touchline. If they really loved libraries they'd talk to Tim Coates, who has a cunning plan. What is there to lose? Tim's ideas might benefit public libraries or if we convinced him we're efficient, we'd gain a great publicist. Lyndon Johnson would remind us it's better to have Tim inside the library tent pissing out than outside pissing in.
Philip Kerridge
Bodmin, Cornwall
Posted by Perkins at July 21, 2006 1:18 PM
Comments
The first stage of a £150m investment in regional museums is praised for boosting visitor numbers...
Posted by: Haden Anglin at November 27, 2006 11:11 PM