« Televisions in Nottingham libraries | Main | The Conservative Party »
May 7, 2008
Sleep walking to disaster
'Sleep walking' was the expression used in a Demos report a few years ago to describe the state of the public library service.
Amanda Field makes the point that seems to be eluding all those (many) public librarians who are currently in debate about how to provide TV programmes for library users.
'Words fail me in regard to plans to show TV programmes at a Nottingham library. Perhaps you could also install a bar and re-name it Wetherspoons? This is a noisy world with very few places to go for quiet reading and study: a library used to be one of these places. Now they are filled with the sounds of people in the cafe, mobile phone ringtones, talking staff....even talking lifts, all of which (if Gosport is anything to go by) permeate every corner of the building because silence has been deemed to be politically incorrect.
I suppose the rationale for TV is that no-one goes into a library to read any more, because of the noise levels and because the book-stock is usually so dire.....so why not 'attract' some non-readers by having televisions (thus emitting even more noise). In what way, exactly, does MTV have any connection with literacy and reading......which is surely the sole reason for libraries' existence?'
The questions that both Amanda and I would ask are 'Why are you spending your time worrying about providing television programmes? and 'Who has decided that this is right thing to do? and 'Who is in Charge?"
Posted by Perkins at May 7, 2008 11:24 AM