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January 28, 2010
Incentives and honours
This week's closing of submissions to the DCMS review of public libraries (yes- like Leeds United it is still going on) has produced some good sense from some quarters and a flurry of incomprehensible tosh from other directions. The overriding theme from public sector correspondents seems to be a call for a further review
Syrup says "SYRUP believe DCMS should commission a formal visioning exercise to determine the mission of the public library service in a modern context."
And 'Delay' - the department of Libraries and Archives says 'There needs to be a greater understanding of people's attitudes to libraries and library usage gearing towards better marketing and tailoring of the service. 'Delay' recommends that funders undertake a survey of users and non-users before deciding to implement new customer strategies.'
So what have the past two years been about then? Why hasn't this work been done during that time? It's not a new idea-- absolutely every normal human mortal told them at the beginning that this was what they needed to do.
Have they been stubbornly refusing to listen?!
Why do they both write in such awful English ... what are 'visioning?' and 'gearing?' - where do these people come from? !!!
Someone, whom I respect, said that libraries fail to sort out their problems, because there is no incentive for them to do so. That's true, in modern parlance, but in old fashioned speak, public service was an honour and a privilege; there was no more need for incentive than the pride and the responsibility it carried. What happened to those?
Posted by Perkins at January 28, 2010 9:26 AM