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August 30, 2006
Theft
There are moments when I believe that civil servants and local government officers believe that their only role is to steal money from the public.
Followers of this blog will know that in Buckinghamshire, the people of the county pay £8.5m each year for their library service. This year, seeking to make a budget saving of £200,000, the council proposed to close 8 of the thirty two libraries. In the document in which the detail was described to the councillors and the public they listed all 32 libraries along with the cost of operating them and the total cost was £3.8m. The document also delared their intention of spending £700,000 on books and other "materials" like DVD's. £4m was unaccounted for and unexplained. Since January no council officer or councillor has been prepared to answer questions about the finances.
However at the same time, local people were offered the opportunity of spending even more money (not just their own, but also the budgets of their local parish and district councils, to keep their libraries open. In other words the council generously gave the residents the opportunity to pay several times over for the library service which it is their public duty and legal obligation to provide.
What have the Minister, the MLA and the DCMS, or even Conservative Central office done to remind the council of their responsibilities (the county has a Conservative administration)? Absolutely nothing in all cases. Absolutely nothing.
Of course the residents who are putting each other through the painful financial hoops of setting up charities, not-for-profit companies and all the rest of it, have not been told of this chicanery. They just want their libraries to stay open and they are doing and spending their level best to achieve that.
I was told today that one of them approached John Dolan of the MLA for help. Mr Dolan among other things suggested that the Society of Authors might provide a willing mug, who on the off chance of selling a few books might provide a celebrity front for the village campaign. What Mr Dolan should have been doing was to try and persuade Bucks county council that instead of multiple theft of their residents money, they would more honourably be occupied, operating a decent library service. That is his job.
A very good friend of mine, a most noted author and honourable follower of the cause of public libraries was approached to fill this role. She however, smelled a biscuit, so to speak, and scanned this blog for the true story of Buckinghamshire County Council (of which she is more aware than almost anyone, having followed its lunacy over the years)
So, much more politely than I could ever be, she warned the Society of Authors of the scam Mr Dolan had suggested, and advised them to steer clear of any of his other bright ideas.
"I cannot agree to be a patron or figurehead for your campaign because, while I applaud your determination to keep the libraries going, I deplore the fact that instead of applying funds already allocated to the Bucks Libraries to save your libraries, it appears the Bucks County Council intends to offer you start-up funds; thus people of Iver will be paying twice over, since council tax already pays for the existing libraries. I support and applaud every effort to retain the existing libraries and until they are finally closed the battle is not lost. Proper management of the library budget with more books is the solution." She said.
Posted by Tim Coates at August 30, 2006 4:21 PM
Comments
Such a good thing that noted author knows about this blog - but a shame that those campaigners don't. Perhaps they will now.
Posted by: Clare at August 30, 2006 6:57 PM
We do now! Thanks. We are not sure what we can do about it, as there does not seem to be any room for them changing their minds about closing the library at the end of November. As you said, we are just trying to hold on to what we had and yes we are involved with setting up a charity and limited company to enable us to have what we had previously. The Council seems to think that a mobile library once during the week and on alternate Saturdays will replace our present service. We are not sure where they will park the mobile as the library is in a small shopping area with limited parking and limited turn around and also understand they are looking into purchasing a new vehicle (not sure what that will cost!) Any ideas on how we can influence a change of heart and mind? We did a questionnaire to all the residents in the area of one of the libraries and found 99% of the respondees wanted a library. Many were also unhappy about spending twice for what they got free. Help!!
Posted by: Graham at September 5, 2006 3:31 PM
Graham
There are a number of things: firstly if you are worried about any aspects of operating the library like obtaining supplies, or having access to a wider catalogue etc, please tell me- I'm sure we can find help for you and you should not have to depend on the County council if you don't want to.
Secondly I think you should confront your local county councillor with the questions raised in the various items on this blog. I think it's time somebody made clear to them that as individual councillors and collectively as a council they have been less than straight.
I would also write them quite formal letters to say that. I would also write to Mark Field and Hugo Swire, who are the tory shadow ministers and ask them if they can arrange a meeting with the relevant officers and councillors (which I would be delighted to attend and happy to make presentations)
Thirdly and most importantly as many residents as possible should write in formal language to David Lammy the Minister of State at the Department of Culture Media and Sport making a formal complaint about the conduct of Buckinghamshire County Council Library Authority in the context of the 1964 Act. When the Minister receives such a complaint from residents he is bound by that law to fulfill his own duty to "superintend" and to "seek improvement in the library service" or take steps to make sure that the service is "comprehensive and efficient". It is a complaint by a resident that initiates his process.
That's a start! The entry by Elgar Atkins on 23 august explains the Act
Posted by: Tim Coates at September 5, 2006 8:13 PM