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June 25, 2008
"We are above democracy"
No, this is not a comment about politics in Zimbabwe, but rather about the dear old MLA.
In recent weeks two very different political bodies- the Conservative shadow office and the all party parliamentary committee on libraries have both politely, but firmly, questioned whether the Museums Libraries and Archives Council is doing a good job for public libraries. Both have called for a major change.
MP Lyn Brown, who is the chair of the former body said in a prpeared speech:
"I have become convinced that the basis of a thriving library service is a service that evolves organically via local involvement and ownership . . . However, that does not obviate the need for strategic leadership of the sector, but how is this best provided? . . . I would [say] that the MLA has not to date been configured to best provide the library leadership role. Indeed it has arguably shown the signs of an organisation formed by a shotgun marriage," she said.
Brown questioned whether the MLA, launched by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport in April 2000, gave adequate responsibility to libraries at a local management level, and expressed doubt about whether museums and libraries were sufficiently similar in purpose to be represented successfully by one body.
"I have always believed that although the grouping of functions has a superficial attraction, museums and libraries in particular have different professional cultures and delivery mechanisms. To its credit MLA has expended much energy and investment in promoting joint working and minimizing the differences between sectors, we have them to thank for the fabulous people's network and to time to budget, but the added value experienced by the service user and service provider, I think is questionable," she said.
The Bookseller then reported:
"The MLA refused to respond to Brown's criticisms, however, dismissing her remarks as one of many references made to the MLA by politicians in the normal course of the organisation's work. "As a rule, we don't respond to everything that politicians say about the MLA. We are aware of the speech, at which members of the MLA were present. It would be difficult to put out a statement every single time the MLA is mentioned, because it happens frequently. Because we're a publicly funded body, politicians talk about us," said a spokesman for the MLA. "
This blog has always questioned the capability of all the national bodies connected with the public library service (and there are many including the MLA) . None have produced the leadership and sense of direction that would help local councils improve their service. Of course one of the problems they all have is their lack of accountability to the public - as the spokesman in the above piece expresses by his, or her, disdain so eloquently. If the MLA wishes to have any public and council support, it has to learn to be a lot more polite to public representatives and show an ability to listen to concerns, rather than to deny them. For the time being there seems little hope of improvement.
Posted by Perkins at June 25, 2008 10:58 AM
Comments
I have never understood why, nationally and somtimes locally, culture and sport are lumped together.
If I were on a Council, I should have something to say about libraries but doubt whether my sporting views would or should count for much (except, of course, I'd try to prevent them selling off playing fields, which is the equivalent of books in skips...).
Posted by: Christopher Hawtree at June 25, 2008 8:15 PM