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October 26, 2006
Helen Rumbelow
There is an article in Times2 today by Helen Rumbelow saying that public libraries are effectively finished.
She predicts that by saying that she will cause much hand-wringing, and I'm sure there will be.
The awful truth, however, is that she is right. She is describing what she sees. In London, certainly, the public library service is effectively finished. Even six or seven years ago it was just about still breathing, but, as she writes, now, the idea of a book lending library is dead. It has been killed needlessly, but remorselessly, without the sanction of the public, by those who are responsible for its management and now it is going to be very hard to bring back to life. RIP.
Nevertheless the story is not over -- let us see those who have done this jailed for the crime they have committed.
Posted by Tim Coates at October 26, 2006 9:53 PM
Comments
It is available online, I posted about it earlier on Petrona -- wondered what you would think. To me it seemed as if her article simultaneously made a hideous kind of sense and excluded anyone who couldn't afford books/had no internet connection (a lot, in the UK).
Here's my post, which contains a link to the Times article (the trick I have found is to go to "newspaper edition" in the left-hand vertical sidebar. This brings you to a page displaying the last week's front pages. You click on the day you want and get a listing of all the articles ihttp://petrona.typepad.com/petrona/2006/10/redefining_publ.htmln that day.)
Posted by: maxine at October 26, 2006 10:36 PM
I was highly offended by this article even though it is an argument that several of my affluent, middle-class friends have also made.
Yes. People who don’t read often, who read only popular fiction or who have a plenty of money could (and often do) simply buy everything they want from Amazon. But what about books which are out of print? What about advice on which books to read what about the various non-fiction titles which cost around £30 each and are rapidly superseded? Where would they research the history of their house or the painting that their grandmother left them?
The idea that the Internet is a replacement for reference and non-fiction books is ludicrous! Of course the Internet is a useful reference tool and it is updated on a very frequent basis. It is also a mine of crackpot theories, lies and misinformation. Speaking from experience I would say that in general people do not all have the search skills necessary to thoroughly research all subjects on the internet. Often the information received is useless and in some cases could actually be dangerous.
Finally, there are plenty of people who don’t have the room or the money to buy every book they would like to read. Libraries give them the opportunity to experiment with their reading tastes (something which I would suggest should not necessarily stop after childhood) it allows them access to books which they can’t afford for themselves.
I have various personal opinions on Ideas Stores but I have already gone on at some length so perhaps I will share them another time.
Posted by: Miriam Palfrey at October 27, 2006 8:33 AM