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October 28, 2008
Barbara Follett can't find time for her review, but the leader of Hampshire County Council can
The BBC broadcast a programme from The Discovery Centre in Hampshire yesterday.
I was honoured to be invited and even more impressed that Ken Thornber, who is the leader of the council came to talk about the work on public libraries that his council has undertaken and achieved in the past few years. There was much talk of books and book collections and I was absolutely taken by all that I saw.
Miranda McKearnie and Yinnon Ezra were also on the programme. The ministers both Burnham and Follett had both declined.
For me it was a turning point in a long and often painful public argument. I don't want to talk publicly about many of the battlefield atrocities that have occurred in this time, I want to put them behind us.
If leaders of councils are going to get involved then, suddenly, we have the means in our hands to solve the problems of the public library service- that, to me, was the point. We can get to a position from which we don't have to complain, we can actually make changes.
The suggestion was made that we should hold a working session of several leaders and hope that will produce an agenda for action. Today Hampshire CC have put out a press release to say that is what they intend to do. It is very good news, I believe. I am full of hope.
No surprise that on the same day I receive a letter from Mrs Follett's secretary to say that she can't find any time to talk about the dcms review of libraries !
Posted by Perkins at October 28, 2008 6:24 PM
Comments
If what is happening in Hampshire indicates a wider mood for change then it is to be welcomed -but unfortunately the forthcoming LISU stats as reported in The Bookseller show book-spending down for the third year running, with the prospect of a further fall in the forthcoming year; the closure of 38 "service points"; and significant staff cuts.
www.thebookseller.com/news/69669-page.html
The forthcoming national review also has the potential to make things worse, by fundamentally changing the nature of libraries.
Posted by: Martyn at October 29, 2008 12:06 PM
I agree with you Martyn and for exactly that reason I asked Ken Thornber if he would assemble a group of like minded council leaders to come together to take action not only in their own councils but in others which could make use of their experience.
Hampshire have agreed that they will do this: the announcements are just about to be made public.
I hope that this will not be another 'review' but an explicit and immediate programme of improvement work using the lessons learned in those councils where good work is being done. Tim
Posted by: Tim Coates at October 29, 2008 12:19 PM
Perkins (Tim) you wrote: "They invited speakers from CILIP, the DCMS, the MLA and all your friends. They invited a couple of Ministers, too. None of the paid offcials could be bothered to turn up. "
I don't know what the programme makers told you, but I can confirm categorically that NO "paid official" from CILIP in Ridgmount Street was invited to appear on The Politics Show programme.
If CILIP had been, then there would have been a CILIP presence there - either a "paid official" or a member of Council/President's Office.
CILIP (the membership and the staff) is actively involved in advocacy for public libraries, and particularly for ensuring the public get the comprehensive service that is their statutory right.
To librarians, a library is so much more than just a warehouse for books. It is the 'comprehensive service' that we want all library users to be able to benefit from, no matter what their post code is.
Caroline Moss-Gibbons
Leader - CILIP Council
Posted by: Caroline Moss-Gibbons at October 29, 2008 12:28 PM
Caroline
Then your press office has a problem and you need to deal with it.
There are a lot of people who wish that libraries would once again act as buildings full of books and they don't understand why CILIP feels it has a right or mandate to deviate from that path. No one asked you to.
"Comprehensive" to these people means a comprehensive collection of books and reading material. That is far from what is to be found and apparently not what you advocate.
Posted by: Tim Coates at October 29, 2008 12:59 PM
'To librarians, a library is so much more than just a warehouse for books. It is the 'comprehensive service' that we want all library users to be able to benefit from, no matter what their post code is'
Oh dear - Caroline I know we are all busy people but if you read The Good Library Manifesto then you may find that it does advocate a comprehensive service for public libraries. It gets boring when you and other CILIP people try and peddle incorrect viewpoints - you are making your arguments weak.
I find it more damning that no representatives from CILIP were invited - what does that say about your organisation?
Posted by: Katie at October 30, 2008 6:04 PM