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December 13, 2008
Closing Libraries on the Wirral
from Chris Mercer
"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..."
The Campaign for the Book
December 20th, 2008
Huge library cuts in Wirral
If anyone believed the library cuts in Doncaster were an anomaly, the result of a rogue Mayor swinging the axe arbitrarily, look no further than Wirral. The Labour/ Lib Dem council running the Wirral peninsula, known on Merseyside as ‘over the water’, has announced the closure of thirteen libraries.
The cuts were approved at a Council meeting on 27th November. There is now a public consultation period of six weeks ending on January 15th. Though this may seem quite a long time, it includes Christmas and the New Year when people are busy with families and when council offices and services are closed or short staffed for at least part of that time.
Two of the thirteen libraries facing closure- at Beechwood and Seacombe- serve communities classed as among the most disadvantaged in the UK. Three leisure centres and two swimming pools are also to be closed and all community halls are to be handed over to unspecified community groups with no guarantee of funding.
Wirral libraries have one of the best records in the country for encouraging children to read during the national ‘summer reading scheme’ and all the libraries have strong links with local schools. Schemes such as Baby Bounce and Rhyme which encourage parents and babies to use the library together are flourishing.
The council has promised that there will be some new investment over the next four years but plans to centralise services into multi purpose complexes rather than maintain local branch libraries. Arguments that libraries need to be accessible to the most disadvantaged and least mobile sectors of the community have been ignored.
The leader of the council has added insult to injury by saying that libraries had to change because they are: “in competition with Waterstones.” Here are some points he might like to consider:
*Waterstones is a private, profit-making company. Libraries are run as a public service.
*Waterstones sells books. Libraries do not.
*People borrow books from libraries. You can’t legally borrow from Waterstones.
*Libraries have a range of services which they offer free of charge to the whole community. Waterstones sells books and other products to make a profit.
Birkenhead Central Library, a purpose built library dating back to the Thirties was recently renovated at considerable cost. It is a much-loved listed building and is among those to be closed. 140 jobs are under threat. Seventy of these are library posts.
There is widespread local opposition but the council, which lost millions of pounds of taxpayers’ money when the Icelandic banks crashed, is determined to push the cuts through. This is not a case of sensible renovation and renewal. It smacks rather of cost-driven vandalism. It must be opposed.
If anyone saw Culture Secretary Andy Burnham’s interview on Newsnight Review, they may have shared my concern at his statement that the arts: “will have to do their bit”, implying acceptance of widespread cutbacks.
You can send your protest to:
stevefoulkes@wirral.gov.uk (Leader of the Wirral Council)
johnhale@wirral.gov.uk (Chair of Culture, Leisure and Tourism Overview Scrutiny Committee
hesfords@parliament.uk (Stephen Hesford MP)
fieldf@parliament.uk (Frank Field MP)
eaglea@parliament.uk ( Angela Eagle MP)
chapmanb@parliament.uk (Ben Chapman MP)
Posted by Perkins at December 13, 2008 9:25 AM
Comments
Apparently Wirral council lost millions in Icelandic banks (see http://alangibbons.net/).
It was inevitable that Libraries would close when it became apparent how much tax payers money had been lost by so many councils.
It makes my blood boil when I think of the billions pumped into banks, by the government.
Posted by: Ex Librarian at December 14, 2008 7:50 AM
Wirral council proposed these closures long before they lost money in an Icelandic bank. The great shame has been, as so often happens, that when the cabinet of a council sets its mind on a policy there is no way that sensible alternative advice can be given to them. Even if they wanted to ask someone for expert advice to address whatever the problem is, there is nowhere they can turn. Nor is there anyone who will quietly take them to one side and point out other ways of doing things. They have little expertise of their own and no access to anything better.
As Alan Gibbons says on his site, the arguments they have used to justify their actions beggar belief for the scale of their nonsense, yet there is no way they will hear anything else. Sad to say we have watched this happen is so many councils, it isn't a surprise when it happens again. Until there is a change somewhere, it is going to keep happening.
I have copied Alan's comment onto the extension of this blog entry
Posted by: perkins at December 14, 2008 10:19 AM
Cumbria County Council is "considering" closure of two libraries - Barrow Island and Askam.
Posted by: Martyn at December 14, 2008 6:53 PM
I have two children we live in Kirby. If Kirby library closes the children will be without a library. I think this is disgusting. I have no transport. It is also part of the village. It should not be allowed to happen.
Posted by: L Ashcroft at January 22, 2009 8:40 PM
The decision to close Eastham Library came as a complete shock as it had not originally been on the closure list. Apparently, it was chosen because the people of Eastham had not made any protest. Of course they hadn't protested - there was no apparent need to do so. In fact, many Eastham people supported Bromborough's petition.
The only facility provided for all the people of Eastham is the library - we do not have anything else. Whether the new hub is to be in Bromobourgh or Bebington - the people of Eastham will have to travel. Is it reasonable to expect the elderly and mothers with young children, without a car, to use public transport to obtain the same benefit as they have from the library at Eastham?
When we are trying to reduce carbon emissions, should Wirral be increasing the use of cars? Also, where are the necessary increased parking facilities to be provided - and financed?
In the event of Bromborough being closed at a later date, Eastham would become even more isolated because there is no public transport directly from Eastham to Bebington - depending where you live, there could be a 15 to 20 minute walk to the station in Eastham and another ten minute walk from Port Sunlight station at the other end. The buses only take you as far as the New Ferry end of Bolton Road and it would be necessary to walk through Port Sunlight to reach Bebington Civic Centre.
It would appear that Eastham is dispensable and is only remembered when the Council want to locate a re-cycling plant.
Posted by: A Worswick at January 26, 2009 9:27 AM
I think that shutting the libraries is a disgrace. I have two children, we live in Irby, we are all members of the library but if it shuts I have no transport so my children will no longer be able to go to the library, plus it is part of the village, it is not right
Posted by: lyn at February 2, 2009 9:04 PM
Things have gone mad, closing libraries, which by law councils have to provide and the Wirral, my old home ground, in fact i have worked in some of the branches threatened with closure and its not the only place that is going to be effected, this i know because i work in public libraries where i now live and although here they are not as yet talking of closures, the service is going to be reduced
Posted by: Sue Cheesman at February 21, 2009 8:43 AM