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September 8, 2006
Books are not important to libraries
For seven years I have been trying to warn the public that there is an agenda within high officials of this Government seriously to reduce the role of books in libraries. It is not happening by chance or mistake: it is a deliberate policy.
They have now admitted it -and the policy is made clear in an article in today's Bookseller. Not only is the process explained, but the review of policy criticised last week for being given to expensive consultants is evidently meaningless - because Andrew Stevens, the official handling the analysis, has already decided what the outcome will be.
"New Standards may marginalise books"
The Public Library Service Standards are to undergo a "full-scale" review that threatens to diminish the role of books in the service.
The Museums, Libraries and Archives Council (MLA) and the Department for Culture, Media and Sport have commissioned Price waterhouse Coopers to reassess the standards first set in 2001, so that they "remain relevant to national and local priorities" ...and reflect the contribution that libraries can make to wider social and economic goals"
The standards were devised as a framework to help monitor libraries' performances and set targets for their improvement. Currently only two of the 10 standards focus on book stocks and MLA's senior policy adviser Andrew Stevens indicated that the number would not be increased in the revisions.
"(Libraries) are much more than just places to borrow books. It is essential that the standards reflect the much wider range of services now offered by them," he said.
Critics of the service's management go even further voicing fears that books will be marginalised by the review process. Macmillan ceo, Richard Charkin said: "It's outrageous. Libraries seem to have been hi-jacked by some politicians as outreach centres or IT retraining camps. Libraries are there for readers and for books"
The review is an internal government affair, of which the public have no knowledge. More than 70% of visits to libraries are to read or borrow books- according the Government's own figures
These "standards" are, however, extremely important as they are the method central Government uses to tell local Government what it wants to be done with the money it hands out.
Posted by Perkins at September 8, 2006 5:05 PM
Comments
Well that looks like that then.
Posted by: SUSAN HILL at September 8, 2006 10:54 PM