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April 24, 2009
Wirral
The leader of Wirral Council has made a statement to the press about the hoo haa surrounding his proposals for the libraries on the Wirral. Alan Gibbons has posted it on his blog.
If the library service run by Wirral council were really excellent with attractive well stocked libraries, excellent knowledgeable, staff with a 'here to help', 'let's do all we can', 'open all hours' approach then we might be persuaded that this bloke knew what he was talking about-- or at least was worth listening to.
But it isn't - the library service in the Wirral is a mangy, run down, limping dog of a service, in great need of total overhaul . Before this man (and others like him) pronounce about the future of the planet, they should get on and spend a few years doing the day job properly. This is just a pile of excuses
And, by the way, this nonsense being paraded about colocation of buildings with public services needs to be watched very carefully. Sticking a library in a day care centre, doesn't make a good library. My friend who was forced to colocate a library with a council 'one stop shop' reports that the whole thing is a nightmare-- for the obvious reason that when someone comes in to ask a complicated question about support for care for the elderly, the library staff don't know the right answer and feel inadequate. Moreover,while it sounds good in theory, putting a public library in school premises doesn't always work either-- sometimes the grown ups are firghtened of the children, you know (things have changed since Dickens was writing)
Posted by Perkins at April 24, 2009 9:12 AM
Comments
"Rising costs of child protection" are cited by Wirral. This must be a first in library discussions. "You wanna see your kid again? Close the library!"
Better to have children enjoying a library than hanging out amidst the dreary consumerism of a mall.
The second part of Wirral's statement seems wildly keen on the death of the book, can't come soon enough apparently. Seems to me that the end of the current Wirral council will come rather sooner.
Posted by: Christopher Hawtree at April 24, 2009 9:53 AM
I'm sitting next to a member of staff from Wirral Libraries here, she is _not_ amused. She points out Wirral has been awarded it's chartermark regularly every year in past years. Perkins certainly knows how to make friends, lol ;) A bit more objectivity perhaps?
As to the leader of Wirral Council, I think the reason for the inquiry is perhaps obvious, that there is a big question mark over whether Wirral will be providing a comprehensive service or not after the proposed closures.
Posted by: Gareth Osler at April 26, 2009 7:49 PM
Gareth . Ok.. the past 10 years show for the Wirral, visits down 14%, book lending down 44%, lending stock down 26%.... how objective do you want? So who gives these chartermarks and what for? And I have seen the libraries. Until we have some consistent honest measure of performance that everyone accepts, staff everywhere will tell you how lovely their libraries are, but the public will tell you a different story. I am sorry to have upset your friend.
Posted by: perkins at April 27, 2009 8:53 AM