« In the Bay | Main | Conservative Councils »
October 10, 2008
Warwickshire libraries face the axeman
Here is the story in the Coventry Telegraph.
Where is the Minister to help sort this out now? Where is CILIP to explain how the service could be run? Where is the MLA to provide its famously non existent help to councils about 'best practice'? Where is the regional MLA to provide local guidance? Where are the political leaders who will defend the branch libraries?
If only someone would ask for help-- it is perfectly possible to improve the Warwickshire library services without this kind of action.
It is worth fighting because once these libraries are closed, no remedy will ever open them again
Posted by Perkins at October 10, 2008 3:21 PM
Comments
Where will it end? if retail sales where flagging would they hand over the store to volunteers!! they would look at customer needs, what 'sells' well and what doesn't and make their local offering relevant to the community. Volunteers- so they will have wider ranging knowledge of key works of literature, be able to do story time, have reading etc. umm- let's locate the event by the chilled cabinet area- we will just bar the use of trolleys that day in case children are mowed down! My god is there no one with common sense to stand up and be counted regarding libraries. Seems as though everyone is an expert- so shift it the other way - move out all 720's Architecture materials and fill with baked beans- that will bring in some revenue!!
Posted by: Fun Fairy at October 10, 2008 3:33 PM
Your headline is a little misleading, this concerns Warwickshire Libraries and not Coventry who are a separate authority.
This "transformation" has been an absolute nightmare for all those of us who work in Warwickshire. The autonomous Transformation Panel have so far refused to answer our concerns and to counteract rumour after rumour regarding redundancies, etc
So how are the savings to be made from cuts to "staff costs"?
One Stop Shop a go-go, methinks.
Posted by: Warwickshire Librarian at October 11, 2008 12:27 PM
Sorry- yes you are quite right. This item is about the libraries in Warwickshire, not Coventry, as such, which has its own library authority. Apologies to Coventry. Commiserations to library staff and residents in Warwickshire. I have changed the title
It's a shame because only a few years ago it looked as if Warwickshire were going to do some quite good things.
Posted by: perkins at October 11, 2008 12:36 PM