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July 16, 2007
The heart of the matter
So poor have the collections of books on display in our public libraries become that not only do the public show no interest in them, but those people who work in the library service find them boring, too. They now believe that books cannot be sufficient to interest members of the public into libraries.
That is what a doctor would call a terminal illness. Even major surgery and huge revival expenditure will probably be too late.
Richard Ward of Hampshire says that now that people no longer want books in libraries, the library profession have to provide them with something else- otherwise they may not want to carry on paying. You will find him saying that on this podcast. I fell off my chair in surprise when I heard it. This, he explained is the thinking behind his "discovery centres". Of course, of course: the purpose of the public library service is to pay for the people who work in it-- the public can go and screw themselves.
Time to abandon this effort - and write a book about it, now that truth and humour have prevailed. If only someone would pay.
Posted by Perkins at July 16, 2007 9:12 PM
Comments
'They?' Would this include the many school librarians who work hard at expanding their bookstocks? Does Richard Ward speak for all libraries and librarians? I hope not. He doesn't even speak for all public librarians. I don't think anyone can claim to speak for all librarians, nor should any one place be taken as indicative. As a case in point, my local PL has a wide range of books, including the latest in many subjects. it also has a good stock of 'classics'- I borrowed a Rabelais recently. Rotherham PLs are not without their problems, but they are committed to a good bookstock and to reading in general. That's good for us, but it doesn't mean all PLs are great; but it is evidence that good PLs can and do exist.
Posted by: Pete Smith at July 17, 2007 12:30 PM
If Tim writes such a book, any copy in Hampshires remaining libraries - whoops, I mean Discovery Centre - will be kept in a locked cupboard and only available for reading under a librarian - I mean information adviser's -beady gaze, and any questions about certain blacked-out pages will bring a frosty aside.
Posted by: Christopher Hawtree at July 17, 2007 7:04 PM
Pete
To be fair to Richard Ward- this whole discussion is about public libraries (forgive me if ever I omit to make this clear). Hampshire County library service operates a very efficient schools library service, I'm told; that is not the issue here.
I'd love to explore the libraries in Rotherham, if the council were interested. Tim
Posted by: Tim Coates at July 17, 2007 7:53 PM
Oh I know this is about PLs ;)
As I said, Mr Ward 'doesn't even speak for all public librarians,' but you could get that impression here.
Also use of phrases like 'library profession' rather elides the distinction between PLs and other libraries, and assumes that librarians such as myself must naturally agree with Mr Ward's words. I appreciate you *mean* librarians in public library service, but it could be made clearer.
Posted by: Pete at July 18, 2007 12:26 PM
Tim,
I retired from Pan Macmillan in March and live in Basingstoke. On my retirement I joined the library and indeed visited it yesterday after catching up with Richard Charkin's blog.
The display, as alluded to one on your posters, is appalling. The new books section is abysmal with a very poor to non existent selection.
As it is in my own interest you challenge these comments/proposals re fiction buying. Therefore, I ahppy to do what ever you suggest to provide some resistance.
Posted by: Ray Fidler at July 23, 2007 3:32 PM