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September 21, 2006
Philip Pettifor writes to The Guardian
Philip Pettifor is one of the leading market and communication strategists in the field of book retailing and publishing. Actually he's just a very nice rather clever person.
Here's his letter to the Guardian this week
Letters
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Not by the book
Tuesday September 19, 2006
The Guardian
Andrew Stevens misleads us on the new library standards (Letters, September 13). True, three times as many libraries are open more than 60 hours a week today, but that makes just 78 libraries out of 4,700. True, library visits are up - by just 5% - but visits are still 5% below the number for 10 years ago. Stevens says "more books ... have been bought"; but more books have also been scrapped. The UK library book stocks have fallen by more than 12 million (10%). This misleading use of data is symptomatic of a lack of determination to address the issue. The problem will never be solved until those responsible acknowledge that there is a problem.
Philip Pettifor
Wotton-Under-Edge, Gloucestershire
Posted by Tim Coates at September 21, 2006 10:51 PM
Comments
Just a small point but even the percentage figures on the number of libraries open for longer has to be treated with care - as it is the smaller libraries with shorter opening hours that are being closed, this has the effect of increasing the percentage of libraries that are open longer - even if no more are actually staying open for longer.
Posted by: Martyn at September 22, 2006 11:03 AM
This is like Patricia Hewitt, the worst Minister of Health we have ever had, saying yesterday that because many regional general hospitals are being closed, because many A and E departments are being axed, because many nurses are losing their jobs and because there are more caesarian sections entirely due to the lack of midwives - ergo, THE NHS IS GETTING BETTER AND BETTER.
Alice in Spinland
Posted by: SUSAN HILL at September 22, 2006 11:07 AM