The Good Library Blog

Please keep an eye on the Library Support Campaign links on the Wikipedia page which deals with public libraries. It is at:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Public_library

One Wikipedian (who usually interests himself in pages devoted to rap and science fiction) has removed the entire section on the basis that Wikipedia is not a soapbox. As the links were to both the UK government pages (David Lammy) and to the various library support groups this argument does not hold water.

Censorship on Wikipedia is becoming a major issue and it may turn out that this experiment in collaborative resource-building may fall victim to the same forces that keep important issues out of the public eye.

The slow destruction of Ealing Central Library continues unabated and relatively unopposed. The local union has other fish to fry and the staff have been scared into silence. The growing number of empty shelves itself speaks volumes. There is no information in the Ealing Reference Library for public scrutiny regarding the changed plans for re-development.

Local newspapers don't take up these kinds of issues any more and both national and local government are adopting a more hardline anti-democratic stance whence it comes to outside interference however constructive.

Peoples attitudes are changing towards libraries. Even if local papers and authorities were prepared to support them there are lots of people saying they are redundant. see - http://www.thisishereford.co.uk/mostpopular.var.1472141.mostcommented.we_want_your_views_on_a_new_library_for_hereford.php

We need to find other ways of reaching out to people, also we need to get rid of the idea that libraries are just about books, they are about knowledge and sharing knowledge, about community. I live in a small town in Wales, UK the library here is used by lots of people despite being housed in a small prefab and having a staff of middleaged, middle class women who correspond with all the caricatures of librarians. People read the papers, use the internet, borrow books, listen to storytime even attend IT classes in a space 40ft X 15ft at most. I learned to read and love books in my local library (Camberwell London)when I was 4, since then I have belonged to libraries in every area I have lived. I also use local libraries if I visit a new area just to find out whats going on and if there is anything interesting I should see. My children also use local libraries despite the fact we can all afford to buy books. Denise