The Good Library Blog: September 2007 Archives

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September 29, 2007

Dvorak Cello concerto

On 13 October in Tewkesbury Abbey-- dry now after the floods. If you don't know it, it is a wonderful, dramatic, tuneful and large piece with, on the last page, one of the most beautiful cello lines ever written. This was added as Dvorak's reflection on the death of his sister.

I've had contact this morning from the marvellous independent bookshop; Alison's of Tewkesbury, who are selling tickets for the concert. -- many thanks to them

They also reveal that as their town was flooded at the time, their copies of the latest Harry Potter were delivered by police landrover!

Posted by Perkins at 3:20 PM | Comments (0)

Reading classes

In a discussion with very senior managers of a department of Government- let me call it the Department of Local Affairs- in order deliberately to hide it-- we were talking about the role of books in libraries.

These are important responsible people who do listen to my advocacy and they are taking brave actions to make improvements, for which I salute them. I was being asked to explain the distinction between 'new books', 'backlist books which are new' and 'old books' - which they could not readily understand until we talked about specific titles.

It emerged that of the three managers present, one never read anything, one had only ever read one book when he was at school and the third didn't read, but his child had recently, under pressure, read the one same book as the second had read and enjoyed twenty five years ago.

It is not surprising that they have no instinctive idea why other people would want to use a library for reading books. It is something which is just not part of their lives- nor the lives of their own children. To them people who read are slightly eccentric, slightly suspect. The fact that it is done privately is rather odd and worrying and not a 'community activity'

If our society is divided into two classes -they are not along the old lines of economic well being and prospects- they are a division between people who read and people who don't-- and they can come from any circumstance.

When these people talk about making a library accessible and useful to all people, therefore, they assume that means filling it full of other activities than reading.

But it doesn't. We shouldn't emphasise the divide between readers and non readers- we should, if just for the sake of future generations-- show that we believe that reading and the pleasure and pursuit of understanding it brings is an honourable activity- not a shady and embarrasing one of which we are slightly ashamed.

All this does, however, show me at least, how important it is that those who are responsible for the leadership of the public library service, and authors and publishers, too, must give such great stress to the importance of books and reading as being the heart of what a public library offers. We must demonstrate to those people that our values are worthwhile and are not to be dismissed.

In simple terms that is why a Minister for the Arts or a spokesperson for the DCMS must NOT say 'libraries are about much more than lending books' - if they are to be advocates for the public library service.

Posted by Perkins at 9:36 AM | Comments (2)

September 28, 2007

Middle Class Housewives

It is irritating to see on another blog a derogatory comment that libraries that I work on will be designed to appeal to 'middle class housewives' . The comment is made by a woman whom I know to work in a library but whose class and marital status are of no interest to me-- but I can't understand the criticism. I wouldn't identify such a group but I would hate to think that they of all people felt excluded.

Do you want to say it on here? Or have I misunderstood? It is very akin to comments that have been heard elsewhere - that we should not be spending money creating libraries for middle class people. That is real rubbish.

Read Susan Hill's piece yesterday about Wilkie Collins

Posted by Perkins at 11:39 PM | Comments (1)

Library Book Spend heads into free fall

Here is the Bookseller article this morning

Library book spend heads into free fall
28.09.07 Katherine Ruhston

Book spend by public libraries in the UK fell again in 2006/07—and the pace of decline is accelerating.

The library service spent £77.8m on books in 2006/07, equivalent to just 8.7% of its overall budget. According to the LISU Public Libraries Materials Fund and Budget Survey 2006–08, backed by Nielsen BookData and due out in October, the fall marks a decline of 0.6% from the £78.2m spent in the previous year and is expected to double again to 1.2% in 2007/08.

The picture is not all gloom—libraries in Northern Ireland more than doubled their book spend for the second year running—but publishers and library campaigners have called on the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) to take immediate action in England.

"These figures cannot be ignored. [Culture Minister] Margaret Hodge and Roy Clare [c.e.o. of the MLA] have got to own up to the problem and deal with it," said library consultant Tim Coates. Richard Charkin added: "All this confirms what people like Tim Coates have been saying all along—that public libraries are not being funded adequately. The sooner the new organisation at the MLA does something about it, the better."

The DCMS refused to comment on the figures. The MLA said it would analyse the results "to find the best practice and help achieve efficiency and effectiveness—that means highlighting those authorities that are able to deliver more for similar levels of spending, not just in book lending but the growing range of services that libraries offer."

The decrease in book spend comes in tandem with pressure on the overall libraries budget, which in 2006/07 fell for the first time in six years. The budget was squeezed 0.3% to £890m, compared to an increase of 5.6% in 2005/06, and is expected to fall a further 0.9% in 2007/08.

"The prognosis is not optimistic, with the London boroughs, the English counties and Wales all predicting decreases," the report said. The budget pressure also forced cuts to library staff and a shift away from professionally qualified librarians. The number of professionals employed in UK libraries decreased by 4.1% in 2006/07; a further decrease of 6.6% is expected in 2007/08.

Library Katherine Rushton
Why do the MLA keep saying the libraries don't need books? Are they mad? Do they really think that journalists will ever approve of them saying that stuff? And as for the DCMS!! 6-0 to my team.

Posted by Perkins at 9:49 AM | Comments (1)

Occam's razor

Occam's razor is sharp. Inspirational people are useful and jolly important

Just to remind us how much we need Richard Charkin to keep blogging I have copied this extract from one of his blogs earlier this year. One of his favourite historical characters was William of Occam who, according to Richard, valued the virtue of being straightforward. At this moment -for public libraries- it seems important.

-"The amount of hot air being expended on library funding, management and objectives might be significantly reduced by the application of old Bill Occam's razor and a review based on these five Occamesque observations.

- The library service is for people and its only purpose is to respond to their need for a library (currently it does not do this adequately)

- It is essentially about reading (currently it is not sufficiently so)

- Its operation must be simple (because at present it is too complex)

-- Those responsible for providing the service are those who work in the libraries (currently they are not able to be).

-- Those accountable to the public are councillors (currently they do not account).

And please may we ignore for this exercise other bons mots such as 'The devil is in the detail' or Einstein's "Everything should be made as simple as possible, but not one bit simpler.", he added.

Posted by Perkins at 8:09 AM | Comments (12)

September 27, 2007

Thanks to Richard Charkin

Richard hasn't died, but he has gone to Heaven

I am grateful in a million ways for all the support he has given on the matter of libraries-- but he does that for everything. Some will remember the amazing day at The Book Shed when he brought every single famous author in the world, it felt, to a wonderful event broadcast live on LBC, hosted by Frank Bough-- just to help us get going. There have never been more drunk, happy celebrities and singing taxi drivers outside Victoria Station

Specifically, he made me write my first blog on his own site, which, thanks to an inflitrator called Vladimir from Kazakhstan, has been shut down overnight by the Vopos for security reasons. it looks as if their actions are terminal--but who knows?

On King's Cross station there is a large sign above a door that says "Tickets for Future travel" I have spent many happy hours looking for the door that said "Tickets for backwards in time travel" -- you never know what can happen. Every day is a new day.

Posted by Perkins at 11:32 AM | Comments (0)

September 26, 2007

The role of the library supplier

I think that the role of the library supplier should change from being one of not only a supplier of goods to being also much more a supplier of services- providing individual local libraries with access to publishers, dealers and distributors of publications, knowledge, entertainment and information.

It is a very different role to that which they play now

Posted by Perkins at 2:16 PM | Comments (6)

September 25, 2007

Syrup chief takes over the navy

Professor Sir Lord Busted Flush, CBE, KGB former president of Syrup, has been appointed Admiral of the Fleet.

"I have always said that running public libraries was like standing on the bridge on a dark night- three sheets to the wind" he said, in his normal eloquent fashion.

Man the lifeboats

Posted by Perkins at 9:18 PM | Comments (1)

September 23, 2007

Scandal in the DCMS

In the past week we have discovered that

1. The new English culture minister for libraries was given seriously wrong information about the state of the service. The briefing mistake appears to have been deliberate.
2. On the basis of that wrong information she has been permitted by her officials to set completely the wrong set of priorities for improvement to the service
3. The MLA, which is the body created by the DCMS and supposed to be managed by them, has had to subject itself to an external "High Level Audit" of its main programme for improvement and upon which it has - over several years under the supervision of the DCMS- spent literally millions of pounds of taxpayers money.

It is time that very serious questions were asked about the conduct of senior civil servants and both political and policy advisers in this ministry and those to whom the management of quangoes is delegated.

The public library service is one of the largest national operations within the domain of the Department of Culture. While all these expenditures and distractions go on the standard answer to any question about why the public library service is disintegrating is "We can't do anything- it's all the responsibility of local councils" --

This is not like those ministries of which we hear which are 'not fit for purpose"; this is a ministry without a purpose.

This has all gone on for too many years. Do these officers believe they are above the law and the scrutiny of the people? They should be removed forthwith.

Let's start with some simple questions: 'Who permitted MLA to handout money to councils to persuade them to sign up to the programme 'Better Stock Better Libraries'? How much was involved ? What was the money intended for? If the programme is stopped will the money be returned? To whom?

It takes a wise and experienced person to spot that headlines like these are written with the intention that someone will have the courage and common sense to grasp, face and sort out the problems. Unless and until the leadership of the public library service handed out in the name of the Minister, if not by the Minister, is clear, correct, strong and purposeful-- and not irresponsible and childish, as it normally is, then the service will indeed continue to distentegrate as it has been.

Posted by Perkins at 5:00 PM | Comments (3)

Community, Democracy, Brighton and Hove

How often do we hear pious Government statements that libraries lie at the heart of local democracy and community? How often are we told that the immense expenditure on libraries like the new one in Brighton show the great commitment of everybody involved to the public library service?

The library supply world is agog with excitement at the renewal of the Brighton supply contract. But the truth is that the unique supply arrangement that Brighton operates does not in itself add sufficiently to the quality of the stock for the very simple reason that far too little of the of the money available is spent on books. Book stocks and opening hours are underfunded but here is still far too much money spent on process, management and administration.

The heart of the matter lies far far away in the management of the service by the council as this authoritative letter from Christopher Hawtree to the Brighton Argus explains.

The councillors have to identify their customer priorities more clearly and be much more resolute in the pursuit of them. That is their part of the bargain which provided the funds for the new building.

Just in case anyone has forgotten - the new public library in Brighton cost £14m. Not only did the council forget to allocate any of that money for new books, but they jolly nearly forgot to set aside anything for bookshelves upon which to put them.

Posted by Perkins at 10:40 AM | Comments (2)

September 20, 2007

Jealous

I am very jealous of this post on Richard Charkin's blog. He has loads of coments and still more coming.

I could try the same kind of thing: which public libraries will have the biggest increase in book loans in 2007/8 over 2006/7? commenters will have to supply their own figures.

Posted by Perkins at 9:51 AM | Comments (0)

Somerset to close 4 libraries

I can't tell from my source which of the two possible councils this is. Can anyone tell? it's not Rob Froude is it?

Posted by Perkins at 9:41 AM | Comments (2)

MLA

There is talk tonight of a 'High Level Audit' of Better Stock Better Libraries at the MLA

The problems go back to the very outset when Andrew McIntosh called for a review of efficiency in the public library service. Questions surround the handling by DCMS, MLA and the Society of Chief Librarians of the first project conducted by consultants PKF. There is the matter of how the MLA and DCMS handled their response to the Culture Select Committee and then there is the whole saga of consultancies conducted by Price Waterhouse Cooper and the MLA.

While it is right to ask serious questions of all these things, somebody has to worry about what to do about the public library service-- the things that all these bodies should have been doing all this time.

The worst aspect of all, from the public point of view, is that the extent of the misdirected funding in the UK public library service is about 200-250m pounds each year within the council operations themselves. DCMS and MLA have allowed the focus of their projects to be narrowed to the, now remaining, 20-30m pounds which are available through extra discount from suppliers and the immediate activities around stock purchasing. That avoidance of the central issue has been a conspiracy between the SCL and the those two departments. It still needs to be addressed and that work has to be done in each council, but every council needs help to do it. That is what should have been happening. After 4 years of avoidance the sum comes to 1000 million pounds-- and that is the money that was needed to restore buildings and the book collections. There lies the travesty and the shame.

It simply isn't fair to ask the public to pay more when the managers of the service has so failed to do their job and allocate the money properly that the public have already paid.

Posted by Perkins at 12:05 AM | Comments (0)

September 18, 2007

Congratulations to the Central Buying Consortium

A few weeks ago I was criticising the CBC for not getting the best deals available.

Now I happily take my hat off to them- they have been active while the MLA twittered about.

CBC have issued a tender for the purchase of £66m books over two years-- obviously they have recruited some more and big authorities in order to build more bulk in their purchasing. Well done, I say. Somebody is thinking about the future.

I cheerfully take back my criticisms of the other week.

Posted by Perkins at 9:01 PM | Comments (2)

September 17, 2007

Outreach means more and better stock for local communities

If you read "Who's in Charge?" (Go to Philip Pettifor's page and scroll down ) you will find that I argued that the most important means of communicating with the local community is by having the stock - the newspapers, authors, languages, titles, school lists. educational material, local interest subjects-- that people need. That is what people expect a local library to do. It is by doing these well that a library becomes inclusive and accessible - and most important - a vibrant energetic part of the local community

In my model of how to run a library service that is the starting point and that is why I argue that buying decisions and priorities need to be set by each individual library. I say that the skill, knowledge and experience of librarians is put to best use when they are in a local library and have the ability to use their own budget to best effect-- as they see fit. They must be responsible for the relationship with all corners of the local community. They must be in control (They must be the one's 'in charge')

For me that is where all the resource should be and that is why I argue that the offices and distribution centres of library authorities are taking money that should be spent in branch libraries

Training in the public library service should be about helping people to do that job as well as they can and management within a local council means giving a clear framework, direction and support to the local community librarians

This focus is also why I argue against the MLA programme 'Better Stock Better Libraries' in which the emphasis is on creating yet another layer of influence over stock in distant central or regional hubs, in addition to the resource in the offices of library authorities. Competition in the library supply market has removed the need for a state agency and I say that all this expenditure will take even more resource and control away from the individual small local libraries-- which is the opposite of what we need to do.

My argument and my model is all about coming closer to communities and outreach through the selection of local stock and the promotion of it within the library. That is what I have always said in every council with which I have had dealings; it is what is said in "Who's in charge?" and it is what is said in the Select Committee report.

You can see from this also why I argue against training resources being spent on cataloguing and (as I have seen this morning) training courses for people interested in the development of blogging.

Posted by Perkins at 8:57 AM | Comments (8)

September 15, 2007

Style tips from New Zealand

I hope Syrup have this topic covered at their forthcoming conference.

Posted by Perkins at 11:05 PM | Comments (1)

September 14, 2007

Government confirms that Margaret Hodge was given completely the wrong figures about books in libraries

Just in case anyone doubted it. This is the word tonight in response to many public comments including this one in The Bookseller. You can be sure that the emperor's tailors are all blaming each other.

Perhaps now she will rethink her priorities for the public library service. Don't hold your breath-- truth never made much difference before.

Posted by Perkins at 10:14 PM | Comments (0)

September 13, 2007

Lost fight for Dudley libraries

Where is Margaret Hodge- Mrs Mansion Polish- , the Minister, when it comes to saving the libraries of Dudley? Asleep in the broom cupboard no doubt

She tells us 'one size doesn't fit all' -- and I say ' open libraries give better access than closed ones'

Posted by Perkins at 12:50 PM | Comments (7)

Outreach

One of the more pathetic whinges in Margaret Hodge's letter to the Observer last week was the notion that "outreach" in public libraries has a higher priority than the book stock.

Let me explain it to her here-- it's very simple.

If you haven't baked the cakes you can't sell them.

Ok?

Posted by Perkins at 9:49 AM | Comments (8)

Welwyn Garden City - Concert- Saturday 15 Sept

Haydn Cello concerto in C -- lovely

Posted by Perkins at 9:32 AM | Comments (0)

Cataloguing a go-go

Andrew Coburn in Essex has not respnded to my suggestion that there is no need for his authority to re-catalogue those items which have already been catalogued by BDS (Bibliographic Data Services, one of the two national agencies who are most excellent in their work). I suggested to Andrew that his county library service could save that money and use it for more books or something of more value to the public.

This is more than just a point about cataloguing, it is also one about the mechanism for improvement for the library service. If Andrew and people in similar positions around the country tell their councils that this work is essential and cannot be done without, no councillor or senior officer is in a position to argue with him. How could they? He is speaking with the voice of professional authority and they are in no position to deny his view. The councillors are entitled to believe that such professional views are expressed within the wider framework of how money in the service is spent.

Yet CILIP argue that because they are a professional body, it is not part of their responsbility to take into account how money is spent-- merely, they say, to set the highest standards. Funding, they say, is someone else's problem and, of course, there is always a need for more. You can see from this example how irresponsible is CILIP's position. You can also see why the library service gets worse instead of better. The funding of the service lies within the hands of those who manage it.

Andrew, if CILIP and your councillors won't tell you, I will. You should stop the practice of re-cataloguing as should all your colleagues around the country. The course you are advertising and holding in Glasgow for cataloguing, in the name of CILIP, should not be for public librarians and there should be no public expenditure on it. If there is a problem with BDS, which, frankly I doubt, then your responsibility is to help them correct it-- not to spend public money in the way you appear to be

If managers of the public library service do not take upon themselves the mantle of financial responsibility, they are in no position to complain about civil servants or councillors who force them to seek random effiicency-- nor are they in a position to complain about 'cuts to the library service'

I'm sorry to spell this out in such a specific way-- but it is exactly the kind of thing that CILIP, MLA, DCMS and Mansion Polish Madge should be saying and should have been saying for a long time.

Posted by Perkins at 8:58 AM | Comments (3)

September 12, 2007

Our estimate was only wrong by 160 million pounds

Cardiff City council appear to have offered a tender to sell all their treasured antiquarian book collections. As all local government officers know, these tenders have to be carefully prepared and scrutinised in accordance with European law. Cardiff estimated the sale value to be one hundred and sixty three million pounds

That amount of money raised eyebrows even in the darkest corners of the murky world of book dealing. Honest auctioneers all over the world, if they exist, wherever they might be found, were put on the alert. Here might be some wonderful treasures and of course a few Christmas lunches etc etc.

Middlemen were duly sent out to investigate-- only eventually and sheepishly to be told that the printed and published estimate had proved to be slightly adrift. All those who had signed and countersigned the detailed plans and procedures had not noticed that the figure was marginally at error. It was wrong, allegedly, by one hundred and sixty million pounds. Never mind. It's only hard earnedd (Welsh) tax payers' money, allegedly.

Posted by Perkins at 1:23 PM | Comments (3)

Even Mr Lammy said sorry

Just in case the DCMS are about to call up the police force I should remind them that when Mr Lammy told the House of Commons that 'there are more books in libraries than under the Tories' etc -- he was forced to apologise. Here is his letter-- and the facts as they were two years ago .

From David Lammy, Minister of Culture
DCMS
28 February 20006

Dear -----

During the adjournment debate on public libraries on 9 February, I said that in 2004-5 the library authorities in England combined had increased lending stock compared with 2001-2. What I meant to have said was that in 2004-5 the library authorities in England combined were adding more new lending stock compared with 2001-2.

I am sorry that this matter could possibly have been open to misunderstanding. Two written answers I gave to Mark Field shortly afterwards (Hansard 16 February 2006, Column 2198 W- refers) acknowledged that overall library stock in England decreased between 1995-6 and 2004-5, although the figure for total library book additions was higher than the comparable figure for 1995-6. I enclose a facsimile of the Hansard passage covering these questions for your convenience.

I am also copying this letter and attachments to the members who spoke during the debate and placing copies in the library of the House.

Yours sincerely
approved by the Minister and signed in his absence

extract from attachment:

Public Library Book Stock England :

1995-6 105,384,000

1996-7 103,305,000

1997-8 99,576,000

1998-9 98,101,000

1999-0 96,644,000

2000-1 94,372,000

2001-2 92,434,000

2002-3 90,637,000

2003-4 87,091,000

2004-5 84,546,000

Posted by Perkins at 12:29 PM | Comments (0)

Spit and Polish

My contempt for Margaret Hodge's letter to the Observer - which I am printing again here--- is doubled in the flurry of phone calls yesterday. These included the revelation that not only have the officials not given her the correct figures but neither has she asked for, nor seen nor read the report of The Culture Select Committee of March 2005. -- And as a consequence-- being so completley misinformed and misled-- this is what she wrote

"Sunday September 9, 2007
The Observer

Much more shelf life
Rachel Cooke's gloomy view of the public library service ('Fiction belongs in libraries - not in council policy', 26 August) is not borne out by the facts.

There are 1.5 million more books in libraries today than when this government came into office in 1997, while visits have risen by 7.5 per cent in the last five years. I can't quite see how this squares with a service being 'systematically dismantled'. We, too, commend councils like Hillingdon for modernising and improving their service to local people and I agree there is much that other local authorities could learn from their experience. But Hillingdon has placed the focus on book provision, prioritising this over, for example, outreach work to open libraries to people who in the past never saw them as relevant to them. This is their decision to make, working with their communities, but libraries in the 21st century are about more than the printed word, as those who actually use them understand.

I know there are those who long for a return to the smell of Mansion Polish and a tweedy librarian shooshing anyone whose voice rises above a whisper, but that boat has sailed.
So a 'one size fits all' approach is never going to work nationwide because the needs and customer profile of a library in Toxteth, for example, are not necessarily going to be the same as those in Tonbridge.
Margaret Hodge
Minister for Culture

Posted by Perkins at 8:49 AM | Comments (0)

September 10, 2007

Mansion Polish Margaret is given the wrong figures

I have written this letter to the editor of the Observer

Subject: public libraries
To: review@observer.co.uk

Dear Sir

Margaret Hodge's letter (September 9- copied below) is wrong. She wrote 'There are 1.5 million more books in libraries today than when this government came into office in 1997'. In fact the Government's own figures show that there are 20m less books in libraries than there were in 1997.

It is important that a new minister is briefed correctly- otherwise serious problems lie untackled and the opportunities of a new unencumbered ministry are missed.

Since 1997 the DCMS has seen 5 Ministers responsible for libraries. Chris Smith was not briefed on the decline in use and book lending. Neither Tessa Blackstone nor Andrew McIntosh were briefed on recent damning reports from the Audit Commission. David Lammy was wrongly briefed on the decline of book collections and had to apologise to Parliament for his ignorance and now Margaret Hodge has embarked in the same way.

The Minister responsible for libraries not only has civil servants in the DCMS, but also a statutory Advisory Council, a substantial quango called the MLA, two large professional bodies, CILIP and the Society of chief librarians-- and, since her appointment in May, none of them has managed to tell her the truth.

The facts are contained in two Govt produced spreadsheets for 1996/7 and 2005/6 (copies of which I have attached)

She is, not surprisingly, wrong about almost everything else in her letter, too.

Yours sincerely

Tim Coates

Sunday September 9, 2007
The Observer

Much more shelf life
Rachel Cooke's gloomy view of the public library service ('Fiction belongs in libraries - not in council policy', 26 August) is not borne out by the facts.

There are 1.5 million more books in libraries today than when this government came into office in 1997, while visits have risen by 7.5 per cent in the last five years. I can't quite see how this squares with a service being 'systematically dismantled'. We, too, commend councils like Hillingdon for modernising and improving their service to local people and I agree there is much that other local authorities could learn from their experience. But Hillingdon has placed the focus on book provision, prioritising this over, for example, outreach work to open libraries to people who in the past never saw them as relevant to them. This is their decision to make, working with their communities, but libraries in the 21st century are about more than the printed word, as those who actually use them understand.

Posted by Perkins at 5:56 PM | Comments (0)

Bibliographic Data

Andrew Coburn says

"it is misleading to say that the utilities you mention catalogue from the book in hand - they will tell you they work from advance information. Since we try to order in advance of publication that is to be expected. But it means that when the book arrives, the detail we have imported can be wrong (author, title, ISBNs included) which is why we check them and update them when necessary."

Is that right? -- do Neilsen and BDS not know that people order books in advance of publication and that data might need to be corrected when the book is published? Has no one ever told them? tch tch

Posted by Perkins at 12:29 PM | Comments (5)

September 9, 2007

How many cataloguers are there in Essex Public Libraries?

I asked the question below -and got no answer. Does anybody know? It's important that we get to the bottom of this expenditure on replicated re-cataloguing of books that have already been catalogued

I am not alone in calling for efficiencies in all these matters--- here is Alastair Johnston of SCILIP (MacSyrup) gritting his teeth in a public speech on the same subject:

" I would equally argue however that there is no need for this (book-in-hand cataloguing) to be done hundreds of times across Scotland. Tim Coates [and I can't believe I'm saying this] is right - but not completely – there is duplication and there are inefficiencies within our services – as there are throughout local government and across the public sectors. "

Does the fact that 'there are inefficiencies throughout local government and across the public sector' excuse those in senior position who do nothing about them-- or, perhaps, does it make it worse as they all obviously know about them ?

Posted by Perkins at 1:44 PM | Comments (1)

MacSyrup and Bob McCrow

It has taken along time to arrive by Scots post-- but this blog was admonished by the Policy and Resources Committee of Mac Syrup in May 2006. It's a shame they never said. Here is the minute from their meeting, kindly sent to me by an old age pensioner in Fife.

It's concerning to see so little attention of the meeting, with Bob McKee and Elaine Fulton, to the heart of the matter of the lousy state of the Scots public library service and so much devoted to the funding of the executive pension pot. SCILIP is not just a trade union for so called 'professionals'- but also the main adviser to the Scots Govt on public libraries as the people at this meeting appear to have been anxious to remind each other This is a very strange alignment of roles and similar to that which Londoners would recognise if Bob (let's-all-take-another-day-off) Crowe were put in charge of running the London Underground.

For blog readers to whom this is all technical jibberish-- take my word for it- it's another rip off that goes under the holy and pious pretext of running part of the UK public library service

(SCILIP stands for Scottish Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals)

SCILIP

POLICY AND RESOURCES COMMITTEE
Minute of the meeting held in the Mitchell Library on Wednesday 3rd May 2006
Present: Christopher Phillips (Chair)
Alistair Campbell, Keith Fraser, Ivor Lloyd, Moira Methven
Sheila Miller, Marilyn Milligan and Audrey Walker
Apologies: Alastair Johnston
In attendance: Elaine Fulton, Bob McKee, Rhona Arthur, Catherine Kearney (Minutes)
1. Minutes of the previous meetings held 7.2.06 and 16.3.06
The minutes of the meetings held on 7/2/06 and 16/3/06 were approved as true and
accurate records of business conducted on those dates.
2. Matters arising from the Minutes
There were no matters arising from either set of minutes.
3. Financial Report
The Treasurer introduced the tabled report, the first of the new financial year. The CILIP
Chief Executive, Bob McKee, stressed the importance of reconciling the accounts of
CILIP in Scotland with those sent to Ridgmount Street HQ. Following discussion of the
report Committee approved the following proposals:
a) To raise advertising rates for Information Scotland by the current (April) Retail Price
Index (RPI) measure of inflation.
b) To implement new subscription rates for Information Scotland of £40 per annum in
the UK and £42 per annum overseas.
4. Business Plan update
The Chair referred members to the meeting of 16th March where the key message had
been the need to adapt business planning to respond to external factors. Discussion
ensued regarding a recent CILIP Executive Board which had looked at creating a 3 year
planning framework and had offered various models for consideration. The CILIP budget
was divided into 5 headings and the Executive Board discussion had concentrated on
two – professional services and Branches and Groups - noting that the cost to CILIP of
CILIP in Scotland exceeded £140k per annum whereas the figure for the rest of the UK taken together was £115k. The CILIP Chief Executive explained that CILIP needs to cut
costs and the CILIP Council is the body that will progress that process. Members agreed
that CILIP in Scotland had to ensure costs were kept reasonable and that core business
continued. CILIP in Scotland would articulate to CILIP Council their unique role and
interactivity with SLIC and those factors that differentiate Scotland from the other Home
Nations by using specific examples such as the different legislative and governance
structures. Committee agreed:
a) to convene a meeting on 19th May in Cardiff following Conference to progress
these matters
b) To request that the Director prepare a note of all the CILIP budget sub-headings
to aid that discussion.
c) To send a letter from the Treasurer and Chair to Executive Board articulating the
unique role of CILIP in Scotland.
5. Annual Report 2005
Committee approved the final published version of the annual report noting the
typographical error contained on page 9 which misaligned figures relating to costs
recovered from CILIP.
6. Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework
CILIP in Scotland were awaiting learning outcomes information from CILIP HQ in order
to progress the mapping exercise. The Chief Executive made it clear that he was keen
to have this work done as soon as possible and would relay that message to staff at
CILIP HQ.
7. Home Nations Forum
The Home Nations Forum was due to meet in Cardiff on 15th May. Members agreed that
an item on Scotland’s uniqueness be included on the agenda.
8. Celtic Conference 2006
Members noted that 29 Scottish delegates had registered and all the exhibition space
had been sold.
9. Centenary of foundation of Scottish Library Association 2008
Members discussed whether and how this occasion should be marked. Committee
remitted it to LIS and MS to discuss further and would receive their suggestions in due
course.
10. Any other competent business
Committee discussed content related to CILIPS/SLIC which had appeared on a blog run
by Tim Coates. The content appeared to misrepresent the views of Policy and
Resources Committee and CILIPS Council. The Chair reminded Committee that views
expressed should reflect policy decisions agreed by Policy and Resources Committee.
Members discussed the Heather Tait bequest and how it should be spent. It was agreed
to remit discussion to LIS and MS and receive their suggestions in due course

Posted by Perkins at 10:29 AM | Comments (2)

September 8, 2007

Supply chains and enthusiasm

Reflecting on yesterday's post about the incredibly high quality and creativity of British Publishing I have often wondered why so little of the energy and excitement is transmitted to individual public libraries and how that could be remedied.

Supply chains are not just about handling books and information and adding cost -- they are also the means whereby excitement is diluted over and again by dull bureaucracy. One of the reasons why independent book shops can be much more exciting than boring chains is that the link to the publisher can be immediate (when it works well) - where the dull chain has interpreted the editorial promotion into its own mechanical formula

That is another reason why I advocate the nil supply chain from publisher to inidvidual community library - through one library supply link and no council bib services. it isn't only much cheaper it is also potentially much more creative. The library suppliers role in that link has to be much more colurful and vibrant and responsive to publishers AND work at higher discount and lower cost than they currently are. (That's another reason why we can't afford to waste money on cataloguing)

There is no way that a national supply agency is the right idea-- but competing creative wholesale/ library suppliers probably is- if they respond properly to what publishers do. They need very good and high quality people to do that. It is a different job to the library supply operation of the past few years

Posted by Perkins at 12:47 PM | Comments (2)

September 7, 2007

Chris Batt

Chris Batt who was its chief executive has now left the MLA after a period in which the public libraries in this country were brought to their knees.

During that time the MLA outflanked 4 Ministers - but they didn't get past this blog.

One wonders what lessons the MLA and DCMS have learned from this sad and terrible episode. I think it should all be made public- because only then can we make sure the same doesn't happen again.

Where are the MP's who should be scrutinising all this? Where is Ed Vaizey, the shadowy? Where is John Whittingdale?

Posted by Perkins at 11:10 AM | Comments (0)

Carry on Cataloguing

In a post below I pointed out that we spend fifteen million pounds in the public library service recataloguing books which have already been catalogued. It is all a waste of money - but jolly good fun

Neilsen Bookdata catalogue all the output of UK publishers, and then both they and BDS (Bibiliographic data services) recatalogue books from the perspective of libraries. That's fine-- but then almost every single library authority in the UK (200 of them) -recatalogue the whole lot to suit their own individual catalogue style. For academic libraries that is ok, but for public libraries that is a complete waste of money and shows total lack of management discipline

Here is Essex county council (which is pathetically short of books and where book lending is falling like apples in the autumn) organising a cataloguing fun weekend at which to waste even more public money

Who grants permission for all this?

Next year’s conference of the CILIP Cataloguing and Indexing group (CIG) will be in Glasgow in September 2008. The exact venue and dates are to be confirmed but this is a chance to consider giving a paper/ presentation.

The plan for the conference is to explore current developments in classification and subject retrieval. We hope to cover both the longstanding methods – such as traditional classification schemes - right up to social networking and ‘bleeding edge’ ideas. We would like to have contributions from all parts of the spectrum – how you are helping your users to access the catalogue and your collections using whatever tools are at your disposal or a more academic look at the theory that might enable us to improve subject access.

If you think you might have something to contribute let me know. There will be a formal call for papers when the venue and dates are confirmed.

Andrew Coburn

CIG Chair

Acquisitions & Cataloguing Manager

Essex CC Libraries

Andrew.coburn@essexcc.gov.uk

Posted by Perkins at 10:44 AM | Comments (5)

September 6, 2007

The Editor of the Bookseller writes

Today the editor has posted this editorial about the British Publishing Industry. I so agree with him - he has granted permission to reproduce it here (below this section).

The point he makes is that British publishing is and always has been one of the most exciting and creative industries in the country. It consistently exceeds the qualities, for example of film, television or computer based creativity. Yet collectively it is shy and not a little bit retiring. it should not be

In the matter of public libraries I have called again and again for the heads of publishing houses to stand up and show some leadership to Government ministers and senior civil servants. Where Bill Gates calls endlessly for libraries to have computers-- it is real uphill struggle to persuade people in this country that libraries need more books, many councils believe that books are a thing of the past: publishers generally do not do the same thing that Mr Gates does. He makes it obvious that there is a public need. Readers will know with a small number of very honourable exceptions (Richard Charkin, Hugh Andrew, Nigel Newton, Stephen Page, David Whitaker and a couple more) senior publishers have maintained a thunderous and deafening silence on the subject of public libraries for several years.

Of course publishing houses are commercial operations and have to concern themselves with all that-- but at the same time these senior figures work, deservedly, in some of the most fascinating jobs in the world- and they are well paid for doing so. Work of that kind is not just about earning money- it is also about what you do, who you are and what contribution you make.

Authors, individually and collectively have been vocal-- so increasingly are journalists for whom this is important ground. Publishers should shout louder about our public library service-- and they should support those few of us who are doing it for them

Neill Denny is editor-in-chief of The Bookseller. He will be blogging on the book business and on how the print magazine is produced each week.

Publishing needs to shout louder06.09.07

Interesting facts about the Booker and Richard and Judy. If you look at the 48 titles TV's golden couple listed up to the end of last year, the average sale is around 250,000. The average sale of the last five Booker winners (in paperback) is around 200,000 - but that is massively skewed by the million or so sales of Life of Pi.

So, on one level, being a Richard and Judy author is roughly equivalent to winning the Booker, meaning in sales terms our heroes of the sofa do in one year what it takes the Booker a decade to achieve.

No doubt some better briefed anorak will point out that I have omitted hardback but all I will say in my defence is that I stumbled across this comparison before dawn this morning in the back of a minicab on the way to a BBC studio. I also worked out that the average British author is paid less than the average check out girl in Tesco.

The BBC's Breakfast News had me in to talk about the impact of winning the Booker, which I had to gently point out to the producers was an award for literary fiction, not primarily a sales promotion. Having said that, I'm of the belief that if McEwan wins the trade will reap the benefit because he is a trusted literary brand with mass sales appeal. This fact is startlingly borne home when you look at the sales so far - well, up to mid August anyway, of the Booker dozen. Chesil Beach has sold 100,000; the next best, The Welsh Girl, has accounted for 3,400. Eight of the 13 titles had sold under 1, 000.

In the course of the interview I contrasted the role of R&J and the Booker in books with the Oscars and Cannes from the world of films. The more I think about this analogy the worse it gets, but it seemed to make some sense at the time. Essentially, the Booker isn't about sales, it's about artistic merit.

But what was most interesting was the ignorance of the rest of the world about books, and the persistent myth that we are in trouble. Before the piece started, the interviewer read through her script which talked about declining book sales and bookshops closing down. When I pointed out that book sales are up this year on last, and have been every year since records began (more or less), and that more shops than ever before are selling books (if you factor in the supermarkets never mind Amazon) she was forced into a hasty rewrite.

Afterwards, we were chatting about the book trade and I pointed out that it is probably Britain's most successful creative industry, the only one in which we match the Americans, and that we are in scramble to carve up China and India. (I know it isn't quite as simple as this but most journalists prefer the quick headline to the in-depth analysis). All of this came as news to her, but she seemed interested and said she would discuss doing something on it with BBC World. Whatever.

I know Simon Juden at the PA shares my frustration that the book trade as a business has hidden its light under a bushel for far too long. Compared to fashion, design, film, TV, you name it books are far and away the UK's top creative business. It's time the mass media, and Government, woke up to the fact.

Posted by Perkins at 4:46 PM | Comments (0)

Library closures in Dudley

Thank you to the correspondent in Dudley who has sent this news from the local paper

Posted by Perkins at 9:37 AM | Comments (1)

Somali languages

Some time ago while on the subject of Newington Reference Library, the Somali community in South London were asking if libraries could improve their collecions of Somali books.

A kind reader has just sent me this reference to Scansom publisher who specialises in these. Many thanks

Posted by Perkins at 9:14 AM | Comments (0)

September 5, 2007

More funny names

This is on the Bookseller website tonight. The first scheme evidently failed as one would have expected- so more money has been spent to give it another funny name.

'HeadSpace' for teens in libraries
Library-based teen reading project Book Bars is being rebranded as "HeadSpace" in a bid to get more young people involved. The scheme provides new areas in libraries designed by and for young people, with plans to operate sites in 19 libraries across the country by March 2010.

The new HeadSpace brand was developed by young people over a four-month consultation partnership with CuriousGroup, which also tackled the development of the project as a whole.

Over the next three years, HeadSpace aims to attract and train 700 young people to become involved in libraries through accredited volunteering opportunities, including training as "book waiters" to recommend new books to peers. A website will also be launched in March 2008 to support the project online.

The previous attempt cost half a million pounds-- but no one is talking about the cost of this one. Whose money?

Posted by Perkins at 8:47 PM | Comments (2)

Is it legal?

My good friend the Chief Librarian of Upper Downberry in Sodshire has kindly sent me the 'Invitation to Tender' sent out by the MLA this week for a framework agreement for public library supply.

The law, as readers of this blog, most certainly know, says that Local councils (called Library authorities) are responsible for the provision of a local library service. Of course they can subcontract any part of this work they wish, but that does not remove the responsbility.

Yet in this ITT the MLA is offering to subcontract responsibility, for example, for stock selection for the public libraries in the UK to its own 'strategic partner'

How would that be legal when currently the onus of such subcontracting lies with councils? Is the Act of Parliament to be amended to name the MLA as the body responsible? I doubt it. Are local councils supposed to give a blanket endorsement to the actions of the MLA?

Who is in charge of these things at the MLA? Has their board given approval to this ITT? Is it in their minutes? I can't find it. Do officers of bodies like the MLA just take the law into their own hands? The persons named in the document are Denislava Ivanova, Matthew Bodley, Paul Lander and Andrew Stevens- do they have the legal authority to amend the law of the land? I thought that was what Parliament did. Or are we in a different kind of democracy now?

Step foward Mr Plod-- -or better still-- wake up Mr Ed Vaizey and do your job. Otherwise we have to rely on the valiant efforts of those noble journalists who have followed this subject from the outset and appear to do the work that MP's are elected for. The problem with 'the ball of publicity' as Lillie Langtry once said, is that 'once it starts rolling, one never knows where it will go'

Posted by Perkins at 3:03 PM | Comments (2)

Department of Funny Jobs

thank you to my correspondent who has just sent me this from the interplanatery library chat room

'Subject: Vacancy: Audience Development Librarian

Southend Libraries has a vacancy for a part-time (18.5 hours
p.w.)librarian to work in the Audience Development Team. Salary range £10,447 -
£13,093.
Closing date 21/09/2007.
Further details at http://www.southend.gov.uk/jobs/

and we're short of books?

Posted by Perkins at 10:37 AM | Comments (13)

The Ministry of Daft

Among the proposals issued this week from the MLA/Price Waterhouse Ministry of Daft is that supply contracts for books should fix discounts for five years.

Old people who have been buying books for libraries for more than 5 years will observe how much the pricing in the book market for libraries has changed in that time. If a contract had been fixed by a council in 2002, the poor citizens who live in that area would have received extraordinarily poor value for money - and getting worse with each year

However, of course, the new proposals from the Ministry of Daft include making sure that no one in particular is responsible for which libraries end up with which books - or how much they cost.

Posted by Perkins at 10:28 AM | Comments (1)

September 4, 2007

Another devastating article in the Guardian today

I supppose minister James Purnell is still on his holidayhttp://blogs.guardian.co.uk/books/2007/09/wheres_the_great_literature_in.htmls while these calls for action go ignored

Posted by Perkins at 5:18 PM | Comments (5)

September 3, 2007

Your favourite book

Robert McCrum has a brilliant blog going on the Observer

Posted by Perkins at 9:55 AM | Comments (0)

September 1, 2007

Gardners have bought Askews

This is good news for the library service as the public will get even more books for their money and there is a real chance to improve the whole supply chain by the remaining suppliers forcing councils to behave sensibly

It is also another final nail in the wretched "Better books, better libraries" nonsense being fiddled over by the MLA . There is no need for a new and expensive government agency to do what efficient suppliers in competition with each other are already doing

There is some help needed to show library buyers how to use the supply lines open to them in a better way- but that is for local councils to understand and initiate. The MLA could have got themselves into a position with the credibility to assist that. But, as last weeks poll in the Bookseller shows, they haven't

Posted by Perkins at 1:38 PM | Comments (2)

A wider view

It is now five years since the Audit Commission report 'Building better libraries' warned that on the basis of the very simple evidence of a downward sloping graph that public libraries as places to borrow books will cease to do so in 20 years.

They didn't say this decline was because 'society is changing' or that in any way the need for public libraries was declining. They said, quite clearly, that this was because libraries had already got left behind in their ability to offer readers and the public what they want. They concluded that it is the very basics of the library operation that needed to be put back in order- and they made recommendations, very simple ones, accordingly.

While people worry, reasonably, about their own jobs, and what is being said by whom about this profession or that group of management or one council or another, the wider view shows that the picture painted by the Audit Commission at that time has not really changed. Five years is long enough for there to have been visible, substantial, measurable and obvious progress- but there is not

There must be. And the need is more urgent than it was in 2002. It is important that everybody who works in the service sees the need to suppress for a moment part of their own personal interest and seek the general good-- with generosity, enthusiasm, wisdom and commitment. Now. The question to ask is not "why is everybody cricitising us?" but 'What do we need to do?'

Posted by Perkins at 9:21 AM | Comments (2)