« Why the MLA has failed so badly | Main | Get it Loud in Libraries »
February 21, 2010
People and parasites
The item below this one says 'Why the MLA has failed so badly (in respect of public libraries over the past 10 years or so)?'
But when you come to think of it, it isn't just the MLA (The Museums, Libraries and Archives Commission) -- one could just as well have written
-Why has the DCMS (The Department of Culture Media and Sport) failed so badly?
-Why has CILIP (The Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals) failed so badly?
-Why has the Audit Commission failed so badly?
-Why has the LGA (The Local Government Association) failed so badly?
-Why has the ACL (The Minister's Advisory Council on Libraries) failed so badly?
-Why has the Society of Chief Librarians failed so badly?
-Why has The House of Commons Culture Select Committee failed so badly?
-Why has Parliament failed so badly?
-Why have most local councils failed so badly?
-Why have most cabinets of local councils failed so badly?
-Why have most Members of Parliament failed so badly (Lords and Commons)?
-Why have so many Ministers failed so badly?
-Why have the major political parties failed so badly?
-Why have 'London Councils' failed so badly?
-Why has 'London Libraries' (formerly the London Libraries Development Agency) failed so badly?
-Why has MLA London? failed so badly
-Why did the other regional MLA offices fail so badly and have to be closed and why have they been replaced by regional 'Engagement' offices, which are failing so badly?
-Why has the London Cultural Improvement Group failed so badly?
-Why has the London Libraries Change Programme Board failed so badly?
-Why has The Scottish Parliament failed so badly?
-Why has SCILIP (The Scottish equivalent of both CILIP and MLA) failed so badly?
-Why has the Welsh Assembly failed so badly?
-Why has CYMAL (The Welsh equivalent of both CILIP and MLA) failed so badly?
-Why has CIPFA ( The Chartered Institute of Public Finance Accountants) failed so badly?
-Why has IdeA (The Improvement and Development agency for local government) failed so badly?
Because not only is it true to say that in most places the public library service is much worse than it was ten years ago, but all these people whom I have listed were paid, or elected, to make public services including this one, better than they were. Some of them were paid extremely large amounts. Each institution thinks their role is to please another - and to obtain funds by doing so. But few of them think of pleasing the public. They can't do: otherwise the results would be so much better. Use of the service would have increased in every way- but it hasn't.
And the answer is that, in this respect at least, our gross national institutions are in contempt of the people who they should serve and who pay for them. It is quite a problem.
(I have deliberately omitted the Northern Ireland bodies- because they, at least, it seems to me, are engaged in an attempt at serious and genuine improvement, as are a small number of local Councils in England, Scotland and Wales)
Ten years ago there was only one person in the DCMS outside local government who was concerned with public libraries. Now we have hundreds.
"Who will bell the cat?" - as John Delane taunted, when he caused the Government to resign!
Posted by Perkins at February 21, 2010 11:56 AM
Comments
Hang on - aren't half of the libraries in Belfast due for closure. Isn't the Central Library in Belfast due to close for 3 years due to refurbishment! Of course there is a "consultation" process going on - closing libraries that "aren't fit for purpose" - probably because they haven't put any money into the buildings or stock for years!
Posted by: JohnA at February 23, 2010 7:54 PM
Northern Ireland Libraries are run, from last April, by a unitary authority with no democratic remit and have already started to attempt to close a number of branches. Wildly over managed and over staffed, it does not suggest a good way of running a service.
Posted by: booklover at February 27, 2010 6:55 PM