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March 16, 2009
Hillingdon
I was away on Friday and missed the launch of the new library in Harefield. However post haste this morning I went out to see it. In the olden days, like many others, the Harefield library didn't open on a Monday, but now it does. Bright, airy, spacious, beautifully designed and laid out, well stocked and equipped it is the latest of the refurbishments in the Hillingdon programme, led by Councillor Higgins and his brilliant officers.
Visits and issues on the first Saturday - with no advertising at all- exceed that of a whole week in former times. The trick is to get in some local schools and they are so impressed that word has spread around the small town in no time at all-- 'you have to see...'
Readers of this blog will know that this whole programme, which will be complete in all 18 libraries within the 4 year electoral cycle, has cost the council taxpayers absoutely nothing. It has been funded out of savings in the operating cost of the service. At the end both visits and issues will exceed 10 per resident - and will therefore be the highest in the country.
At the recent conference in Hampshire, when I mentioned this programme, the leader of Bournemouth council pronounced in superior tones that the prices I quoted 'simply were not possible' (in local government I suppose he meant). He had only to ask me- as I was sitting in front of him- and I would have explained that by creating a set of high standard design elements to be consistent among 18 (or 80) libraries, enables one to achieve much much better value for money..... but then people who work in local government seem determined not to learn anything except how to acquire and spend other peoples' money.
When we ask the MLA to report this programme as good practice the emails go unanswered, and when Councilllor Hiiggins and I offer to talk at CILIP conferences or meetings, the response hardly merits begin called rude. what is one to think?
At least the Observer newspaper seem interested. Let's hope they have nice things to say.
Posted by Perkins at March 16, 2009 8:57 PM
Comments
You may not have been invited to a CILIP meeting, but Councillor Higgins certainly was. He came to a CILIP in London meeting on 9th September 2008, together with Jean Palmer his Director of Planning & Community Services and her deputy Andew Malin. There was a very lively and informative discussion about Hillingdon which was also reported in members' newsletter. No rudeness was involved on either side.
Posted by: Diana Nutting at March 17, 2009 6:28 PM
You are quite right Diana, he told me. I imagine it was in the room upstairs in the pub in Clerkenwell. Jolly good. So, there should be more like it , and it would be good to see other councils taking up similar programmes.
The rudeness on that occasion, if I recall, was posted on a CILIP blog that followed the event. It was extremely hurtful and aimed at me, when, as you observe, I hadn't even been invited to the meeting. I'm, sure you didn't see that; I hope not. But I was unable to extract even an apology from the perpetrators. It may still be around somewhere.
Posted by: Perkins at March 17, 2009 9:54 PM
And I'm still waiting to hear from CILIP myself! I think we all forget too often that we only inhabit this mortal coil for a tiny march of days, and we would do well without clogging those up with bureaucracy, admin, statistics and dogma. I really rather would march on London sometimes. It didn't do the Jarrow marchers much good, but it's better than having to sit around listening to superior pronouncements from gaseous councillors or awaiting the convenience of the Judean People's Front!
Posted by: James Christie at March 18, 2009 3:29 PM