The Good Library Blog

The council should be encouraging new members - a matter of increasing stock - rather than simply flinging its hands up in the air and closing down the library. Here in Hove and Brighton it is clear how strongly readers feel about the branch libraries and they are resisting any threats for "centralisation" by the nationally notorious non-book Brighton library.

What does 'more' mean? As much as I hate to see any library closures, Kirklees have not had any library closures for years and have in fact opened two new libraries in the past year, so they are one up!

Kirklees have opened two new branch libraries in the past 12 months in deprived areas of Kirklees. They did this whilst managing to retain the best book stock in the area. If in doubt try comparing it to Wakefield, Bradford or even Leeds. Here's the catalogue: http://libraries.kirklees.gov.uk/#focus

Might it be because Kirklees have so many librarians compared to the previously mentioned authorities? I think it might...

In the interest of balance I must state:

Kirklees has increased book-fund spend and stock year-on-year until recently. Stock range has consistently been measured as excellent by independent testing.

Two new libraries opened in 2005-6 and two more in 2008-9; all library closures are tragic but 'simply flinging its hands up' doesn't come close to describing reality.

For what it is worth the CIPFA figures show that in 1998/9 Kirklees had 33 libraries open more than 10 hours per week. In 2007/8 their report to CIPFA shows 31. The number of books for loan has fallen by 18%, book lending has fallen by 38% and the number of loans per adult is now just 2.8 per year, which is one of the lowest figures in the country.

These so called independent tests of stock are very narrow-- and I think the low level of adult borrowing in this council shows that. The people of Kirklees, whom I suspect are as keen readers as anyone else in the country, clearly do not find the stock to be excellent.

And, Simon, no one here is 'flinging their hands up' , but we are trying to persuade councillors to get closely involved in the operation of the public library service for which they are responsible, and that includes having a good grasp of the figures.

Comparing the stock in Kirklees to that in Leeds, Bradford and Wakefield is rather like comparing rotten apples with rotten pears, plums and bananas. I'm sorry - but you are in my homeland and I have long been a library user.

Like many libraries, I suspect, Kirklees would like to improve its stock still further, but budgets do not always allow for this. (Kirklees have actually had considerable extra bookfund with which it has improved its stock over the last three years.) Quality of stock, I fear, is not the only issue in determining how many books are issued each year - not by a long chalk!

When faced with budget cuts in the service, Library Managers have to consider how to save the most money for the least impact on users. The sad fact is that in Kirklees New Mill's visitor and issue statistics are quite poor. There are other libraries quite nearby - Holmfirth is just 1.4 miles away, and on a regular bus-route. With a replacement mobile library service two days per week as well the, (relatively few,) library users in New Mill will be inconvenienced, but far less so than other borrowers in Kirklees. And the final nail in the coffin for New Mill is that the cost savings are significantly higher than might be the case at other libraries in Kirklees, because New Mill is one of the few library buildings in Kirklees that the Council does not own - they pay rent. Closing New Mill may save as much money as closing two libraries elsewhere.

Nobody likes closing libraries - least of all the library services that run them. But the sad truth is that in these straightened times of capped budgets and cost comparisons, when half of the services one might once have obtained from your library can be found on the internet and when a new book can be purchased from Asda or Tesco for £3 or less, it is increasingly difficult for library staff to justify their own existence to those who hold the purse strings.

(As an aside, I was amused by the petition put up by local people in support of New Mill Library. New Mill is a relatively affluent area - exactly the kind of upper-middle class folk whom you would expect to be staunch advocates of library services and continuing education. Unfortunately, they are also the same people who can afford to buy the books they need and the majority of them also have broadband internet access at home. Which might explain why the number of names on the petition was more than four times the number of regular library users at New Mill! If all these people actually used their Library, it wouldn't be closing!)