The Good Library Blog

Everything's a gerund in giving a title to a speech on libraries!

Forging New Partnerships: the Contemporary Dynamic.

I made that one up.

James

Don't worry I'll be there to listen to Henry; we wouldn't want him to be lonely, what with ONLY Malin and Palmer there to massage his ego (I assume LBH taxpayers are paying for yet another little jolly - and them only just back from Brighton). Hope Henry has got his stats right at last...or have Hillibgdon issues quadrupled now?

We suppose you are paying your own expenses to get the the show, Richard?

I have not seen any press release or figures from Hillingdon which have not contained accurate performance figures. I think you should explain what you mean.

They have done good work--if you don't agree, why don't you just say why?

The one I refer to is the claim by you in the Times that the use of Hillingdon libraries has doubled - an economy with the truth methinks - no, let's be blunt, a lie. Use has in fact fallen, but risen at Ruislip Manor - of course, as happens at all new/refurbished libraries. I absolutely do not agree thay have done good work - Ruislip Manor is probably the dullest refurb I have ever seen, with badly signed and poorly chosen stock (12 Catherine Cooksons for goodness sake? who still reads her??).
The 'Starbucks' (??)is a drain on the borough's finances - let us know how much each cup is making; the expensive (£5,000!) wallpaper looks like it should be on a US Army truck; the Apple Macs are just for show, the naff 'Hyacinth Bouquet' artwork on the walls (£500 a pop) the whole thing is about the egos,vanities, self interest and personal ambitions of those involved - it seems to me.
As for Manor Farm, the superb conservation work there was all pre-Higgins - the only post Higgins bit is as naff as naff can be.
If you're hinting that I'm anti because Demco didn't get the work - we did - a nice order at RM thanks.
You see, Tim, I have spent a lifetime in and around the public library service, and I'm used to people doing a good job quietly, effetively without all this song and dance and massaging of egos. I'm also aware of the shortcomings in may services, but generally most do a good job. Why do you, specifically, think a good job has been done at Hillingdon? why is the book fund for 07/08 hugely underspent? - a poor and badly thought-through restructure?? - from a borough that has made 'books a priority'??

Ah from Demco.. Many readers will not know that Demco are designers of many of the library refurbishments one sees around the country. Thanks for your view Richard. You are most welcome. You've done well for sales in the past few years at Demco. Good luck.

I'm intrigued to know whether Mr Mitchell, who has become very vocal on this site, is speaking as an individual or as a Demco representative? It's just that it seems a bit strange to me for a supplier to accuse any of their past, current or (more importantly) potential customers in local authorities of being vain, egotistical, acting out of self-interest, lying, and having naff taste.

Catherine Cookson is of course still among the top 40 most borrowed authors - acording to the most recently published PLR figures - and Hillingdon has far less Cookson titles than the popular Library in the small market town where I live.

As for apples macs being just for show - they are much less likely to freeze or crash than "windows" computers.