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September 23, 2008
Unbelievably shocking
We talk about charities in which the money donated never gets to the intended recipients.
Here are 25 public library authorities in the UK in which, in 2006/7, less than 1% of the funds they used were spent on books for children. Doubtless they will argue that they do many other things-- but this is the reason why they should stop doing other things and refocus. If public libraries do not have books for children to read we might as well shut them all down tomorrow-- and if the managers have no more sense of priority than is exhibited here, they should not be employed .
Camden
Islington
Kensington and Chelsea
Croydon
Haringey
Waltham Forest
Manchester
Doncaster
Newcastle upon Tyne
Bracknell Forest
Brighton and Hove
Bristol
Darlington
Poole
Reading
Slough
Stockton on Tees
Surrey
Neath Port Talbot
Aberdeen
Inverclyde
North Ayrshire
Renfrewshire
Scottish Borders
Belfast
Posted by Perkins at September 23, 2008 10:01 AM
Comments
The less than 1% is less than 1% of what? Of the total library budget? I very much doubt it. Or of the council budget as a whole? In the latter case it is more understandable, and perhaps not as disgraceful as it appears.
It has always been difficult to argue for extra resources with councillors who will say that if they give more to libraries, then they have to take it away from social services, or housing.
Posted by: Tom Roper at September 23, 2008 2:40 PM
Less than 1% of the gross library budget for that authority. Doubt it you may, Tom, but it is true.
For example, in the case of Bristol, the funding of the public library service from the council revenue budget is £8.6m; the funding from library revenue streams is £0.5m : therefiore the gross funding of the library service is £9.1m. The expenditure on childrens books is £49k which is therefore about 0.5%
The figures are taken from CIPFA actuals 2006/7. For the expenditure on childrens books, the calculation is of childrens fiction plus non fiction per 1000 pop, multiplied by the quoted population.
This is not about councils taking funds from social services, it is about managing the funds that the library service is already so generously given.
By the way, thank you for the link to your blog, Tom
Posted by: perkins at September 23, 2008 3:13 PM
Fair enough. In absolute terms, £49K won't get go far these days, and in a city the size of Bristol is scandalously little
Posted by: Tom Roper at September 23, 2008 7:07 PM