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November 23, 2006
Letter in the Portsmouth Evening News
This was published yesterday, written by a resident of Gosport in Hampshire:
So short-sighted
I read with horror that library chiefs in Hampshire have decided to withhold £250,000 from the book budget, which means there will be no new books in any Hampshire library for months (News November 17). Do they think the public have forgotten that they’ve already cut £500,000 from the book fund over the last two years? The book selection is now dire, particularly in the much-vaunted Gosport Discovery Centre, so it’s no surprise that the number of books being borrowed has slumped. Further cut-backs will drive even more users away and doubtless the
library chiefs will then conclude that it’s not worth stocking books at all.
If they think that books are ‘old hat’ and irrelevant given the expansion of online information, then I suggest they come out of their ivory tower and take a look at Portsmouth library, a model of excellence. But then, Portsmouth -- along with Southampton - opted out of Hampshire’s administration some years ago. How right they were to do so.
Posted by Perkins at November 23, 2006 8:38 AM
Comments
It's heartening to hear us being described as a model of excellence - especially at the moment, when the view from inside the fence isn't particularly rosy and every week is a battle to find enough man-hours to shelve all the returns. We do what we do, as best we can - it's our job, and we care about it.
Posted by: Armchair Anarchist at November 23, 2006 8:16 PM