The Good Library Blog

Wasn't making Liverpool, across the Mersey, European City of Culture 2008 meant to inspire these councillor types to do rather better than close down more libraries?

Here in Hove we stood up against the Council's flakey argument that it had neglected the Library building and therefore had to close it down.

Good luck to the hard-pressed residents on the Wirral.

Its not just the Wirral suffering, and not just the neglect of buildings either. Recent news reports show that three libraries in Aberdeen (Bucksburn, Northfield and Dyce) have been forced to reduce opening hours because of lack of staff to run them. The council currently has 19 library vacancies, resulting in a 25% staff shortage in one part of the City's library network.

Meanswhile Coventry Council has decreed that all libraries, with the exception of the Central Library, will close by 7.00 p.m. This is part of a "radical" new plan that would see several existing libraries closed - to be replaced by volunteer run book collections in supermarkets and primary schools, and mobile services. They also propose to slash the book budget from £750,000 to £470,000.

Across the border in Wales, thousands of books have gone missing from Libraries in the last two years - worth a "staggering" £600,000 - according to figures released under the freedom of Information Act.

My time working for the Wirral Public Libraries was a great time for me as I started to build my career. And this is many years ago.. some branches were run down then, the metal shutters pulled down each night- but it provided a real community space that was used- not necessarily to look at books. For some it was a warm, friendly place to come and wait for the racing results to many children in school holidays it was a safe place to come, have some fun, even hear some stories!!

Yes think about how to utilise space in a more effective way but by considering just one main library with full services and satellites is just crazy. Will parents let their children travel from say West Kirby into Birkenhead, after local school each week? will they take them? what if they can't? does homework not get done to the best possible standard?

And as for putting more money into the Golf Courses!! Excercise is good for the soul, education is the key to life. The councillors should have worked with the PGA to get more out of the Open when it was in Hoylake. If they did, apologies but what have you spent the cash on!!! They say that people get what they deserve so as the Hove residents did- time to be counted or lose.

The latest of Wirral:

Libraries earmarked for axe
http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/liverpool-news/local-news/2008/11/25/libraries-earmarked-for-axe-100252-22332915/

An anecdote, I was in a library in Liverpool on the very last shift before it was due to be closed. A teen was the very last person in the library. She objected bitterly to the library closing, quoting her: "My mum will only let me go out at night if I go to the library." I think we could do a lot worse than have our teens go to the library in the evenings.

The libraries closing..have people gone mad...They are part of the community from the young to the old...used for meetings and also to browse and read and lend books...Students also study there and folk can use computers..most are a hive of activity...

These resources are valuable especially to those on low incomes...education , literature are things to be valued a library in a community is part of the infrastructure that holds it together even if that is not acknowledged,..

Each community needs its own library , with its own flavour...contributing to the community right across the board...

maybe the council would like to save money by letting go luxuries like their fancy dinners and fancy cars and start putting the thoughts and desires of the community first....! It might be a novel idea to listen to the community for a change..