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November 17, 2006
Government announces "Significant slump in use of libraries in Northern Ireland"
Here is the story in the Belfast Telegraph
Only 2 years ago the book funds for libraries in Northern Ireland were cut dramatically. The pattern is the same everywhere: total funds rise; central staff wages are protected by rising at an even higher rate; front line staff and book funds are cut; libraries become useless; usage falls; libraries are closed.
Northern Ireland do have a good plan for pulling the service round, but one has to wonder about all the libraries in the UK if the resurresction plans will be far too little too late.
Susan Hill is anxious that we have too been too hard on the library management. I'm afraid the problem is, as we will now see unfold, we have been far far too soft. Too much time has been spent worrying about the sensibilities of the professional staff and not nearly enough has been spent on concerns about the public need for a library service.
Posted by Tim Coates at November 17, 2006 9:30 PM